Seven days from Heaven
by InfiniteDragon
Summary: After returning from Hueco Mundo, life seems to be returning to normal for the group. At least, as normal as it can be. But for one member of the gang, life just seems to be getting more and more complicated. Chad/Tatsuki, hints of Ichi/Ruki and others. T
1. Chapter 1: The First day

**A/N:** Welcome to my first Bleach Fanfiction, Seven Days from Heaven. To those of you that have already read this, you may just wish to skip it- I've edited a lot, cleaning up the spelling and punctuation errors that slipped past me before I posted each chapter, and also fixed a few continuity/world errors, but other than that the story is pretty much the same as it was.

To the newcomers: It's a Tatsuki/Chad fic. The world is mostly canon, but the pairings are (so far at least) not. Many events will seem similar to the manga canon, but slightly different- that's because my memory isn't perfect. Either get over it and enjoy the story, or don't. However, if you see a glaringly obvious mistake, (Like the fact that I originally wrote that it took 4 days to reach Soul Society from the Living World) feel free to point it out- It may take me a while to fix, but eventually I will.

The story is set after Orihime's return from Hueco Mundo, but before the Winter War. This version of the Bleach universe is also being used in my epic Bleach fic currently being worked on, with a tentative tital of "_Not a coward..._" So if you liked it, keep an eye out for that one in the semi-near future. (I've promised to finish my Avatar 3-parter before I start posting that one) Oh, and as always, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo's characters, art, storyline, etc. I just write in his world because it's awesome. :D

Anyway, Enjoy.

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**Chap. 1 – The first day**

The last time Sado Yasutora– or 'Chad' as his closest friends called him had been in this much pain, he had been bleeding to death on the grounds of the eighth division's headquarters. _When did she... learn to hit so hard?_

The reason the gigantic young man was lying on the ground this time in many ways similar, but the causes were altogether different. Last time, he had been in the process of breaking into the Seireitei along with Ichigo and their other friends to rescue Rukia from execution._ And what was she being executed for, anyway? We later found out that it was all just a plot created by that Aizen guy, but as far as I can tell she really _did_ break a number of Soul Society's laws. Was the punishment just? I fought my hardest, almost died, because Ichigo needed help. But was it the right thing to do?_

With a groan, Chad rose to a sitting position, gently rubbing his face. As far as he could tell, the girl hadn't done him any serious injury, but it sure as hell hurt. _Abuelo, what should I have done?_ But the spirit of his long-passed grandfather had no reply. Chad could feel him, much as he always could, residing in both the coin he had worn around his neck since his grandfather's death, and throughout his right arm. _The Right Arm of the Giant. El Directo. Grandfather's power, amplified by my still-growing spirit energy, further augmented by exposure to Ichigo's. That Kurosaki... he changed us all. But I can't complain. There has never been a better friend._

"Finally back with us, huh Chad?"

Wincing in pain at the sudden movement, the young man whipped his head around to see the spiked strawberry-blond hair of Ichigo Kurosaki himself leaning against a wall a few meters away. He was wearing the black robes that proclaimed him a Shinigami. In the distance, Chad could also see the tiny form of Rukia Kuchiki, long since returned to the living world, dragging the soulless body of Ichigo toward them.

"Yeah."

Ichigo gave a short laugh and said, "Typical. Rukia and I suddenly sense your reiatsu flare up in anger, then pain, so we rush over... and find you lying on the ground, no sign of your attacker. And all you can say is 'yeah'. Keigo would be going crazy right now."

The corner of Chad's mouth twitched, and Ichigo's lips curled into a smile in response. "It was... nothing. Sorry to worry you."

As Rukia approached, dragging Ichigo's body behind her by one arm, the substitute shinigami lurched off of the wall and walked over to Chad, offering a hand to help him up. "So, who was it? Or what? You looked like you got flattened. If you weren't so tough..."

"It was..." _Tatsuki. But Ichigo would never understand if I told him. It doesn't matter anyway._ "No one important."

Ichigo looked surprised, but shrugged it off quickly, knowing his friend well enough to leave him alone about it. It was obvious he didn't really want to talk about it– not that he ever really talked about anything. "Oi, Rukia! What took you so long?"

_Bad idea._

Chad was right. Suddenly glaring, but still panting with exertion, the slight woman dropped Ichigo's body's arm and very slowly, deliberately, she stepped around to it's side and looked toward them. When she was sure Ichigo was watching, the shinigami slowly pulled back one foot and let loose with a vicious kick to his ribs. Even from meters away, they both heard ribs crack.

"What the _hell_, Rukia? That's gonna _hurt_ when I get back in!" Ichigo ran over to his body at once and slung it over his shoulder, apparently unaware that the rough treatment would make the pain worse later.

"Serves you right. Leaving your body in the middle of the street like that... you almost got ran over. You're lucky it's just a couple broken ribs, strawberry!"

This time, Chad couldn't restrain his smile. The two of them were always fighting, but it was obvious to anyone that knew them the two cared deeply about each other. _It's strange. She's so small and graceful, she looks more like a dancer than a warrior. But I only know a few people, here or in Soul Society, that can match her power. Me, maybe. _Maybe._ Probably Orihime and Uryu. The Captains. Ichigo. I don't know if Urahara or Yoruichi could hold their own against her anymore. She can take down Espada._

_And then there's Ichigo. We all felt Captain-General Yamamoto's reiatsu when he fought against Captain Ukitake and... that other man. Ichigo could give the old man a run for his money on sheer power, though I think Yamamoto would win. He's hard millennia more experience than Ichigo. And Kido. _

"Hey, Chad. You coming? Let's go to my place, have my dad check you out."

"I'll be fine," was the big man's reply, but a glare from Rukia convinced him to follow along.

---

"I've never seen anyone heal as quickly as you do, Mr. Yasutora," Isshin said an hour later, "I mean, you had no serious injuries like you said, but still. Your bruises are already yellowish, in a few more hours they'll be gone completely."

Chad grunted. _She didn't really want to hurt me. But then, why... Why did she react like that at all?_

"Heh, just like my son says. When you got hit by that motorcycle, we thought you were a goner, but you got up and walked away a little later. Now you get pummeled by a mystery assailant, and your body shrugs it off like it's nothing. I guess I can't complain about your attitude, though. So... who is she? Is it Orihime?"

_What the..._ "Ori... Orihime? No." _When did the old man get so perceptive? _

The doctor puttered around the small office for a few more minutes, double-checking a few more of Chad's vital signs and finishing his medical report before either of them said another word.

"So... it wasn't Orihime. Rukia, then? I'd think it was more likely Ichigo would beat you up for that then her, though..." Isshin looked up at the light in the ceiling, scratching his stubbly chin. "Masaki would know for sure, but I never was good at this sort of thing."

"It wasn't Rukia or Ichigo."

The doctor gave a short, booming laugh and said while grinning widely, "So it's someone else, then. Well, no matter. I actually need a favor from you... can I tell you a secret, Sado?"

Chad said nothing. _A secret? Why would he tell me a secret?_

"You have to promise to keep it to yourself for now, though. I'm not ready for Ichigo to know yet, much less Karin and Yuzu. OK?"

_What... secrets from his own family, but he'll tell me? What's going on?_

"I guess."

"Excellent. Now... I'm an ex-shinigami. A former Captain of the Gotei 13."

Isshin had said it, expecting a great deal of surprise. He expected to see shock, amazement even, but he was sorely disappointed.

"OK." Chad's face was as impassive as ever. _A former Captain? He's like Urahara and Yoruichi then. Why would he leave? Was it... Masaki?_

The older man gave a wistful smile and continued, "Just like you, I guess. Yeah... I used to head up squad Five. Aizen was my lieutenant at the time. But that doesn't matter, now. The person he has become isn't the person he was, I think. He was still a child when he took over, more or less. It was a long time ago...

"But that's not really important. What matters is that I was still working as a shinigami, even though I had left Soul Society for good, when I met Masaki. We fell in love, got married, had three kids, and she died. You know most of that. What you don't know is that _I_ know everything that's been going on. Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihouin, and Ryuken Ishida are all old friends of mine. We keep each other in touch."

This time, Isshin was pleased to see Chad's eyebrows raise a fraction of an inch.

"So, trust me when I say I know what I'm talking about. The Arrancar are something you can handle, maybe even an Espada if you're in Hueco Mundo. But don't try taking on Aizen, Gin, or Tousen, all right? You're strong, there's no doubt about that, but those guys are probably too much even for Ichigo as he is right now."

"No."

This time, it was the doctor who was surprised. "No? No what? You won't stop fighting?"

"I won't. Ichigo needs my help."

Isshin sighed, turning his chair to face Chad directly, "Listen, I don't mean you shouldn't fight. I'm saying you shouldn't 'look' for a fight. I've seen you, I know what your arms can do. Your Giant's Arm is more powerful than your Devil's Arm, right? And it's defensive in nature, even though it's offensive power is still greater than the other's. So you should be defensive, too. I don't know the history of your power, or where it came from any more than Kisuke does, but I can tell you right now that you are meant to protect, not to seek a fight. Be a guardian. Do you know what I mean?"

"_Why do you have those fists?"_ Once again, the image of the old Mexican flashed into Chad's mind. _"Use them to protect others."_

Chad closed his eyes, and they were hard when he opened them again.

"I understand."

_So be it. If I cannot take the fight to the Arrancar, I will guard our fortress of Karakura. There are many others that need protecting. Keigo. Mizuiro. Karin. Yuzu. ... Tatsuki. Whether she knows it or not. They will be able to do what they must, knowing I will be here watching their families and friends._

_---  
_

**Earlier that morning...**

"What do you _want_, Yasutora? I'm going to be late for the meet!"

The girl's short-cropped and wild black hair was swaying in the breeze, the tips still vibrating to the pent-up tension she must have felt. _She never hesitates, not like Orihime. Or me._

"I just wanted to... wish you luck."

Tatsuki Arikawa flashed him a wide grin and the V sign before turning and dashing down the street. Just before she turned a distant corner, he heard her voice on the wind, "Thanks, Chad! Come watch it!"

The tickets were only four hundred and fifty yen, because it was a district-only championship. The season for martial arts tournaments was just beginning, and while Tatsuki was a favorite, there were some other up and comers that people thought might give her a run for her money, even in the lower levels of tournament fights. Chad wasn't really all that interested in formal martial arts. He'd taken boxing lessons from his grandfather while growing up, and had more than his share of real combat experience even at sixteen, but other than that his training was minimal.

This competition, though, he couldn't resist watching. He'd been to them before, mostly having been dragged along by Ichigo to root for Tatsuki. This was the first time he'd gone alone, because the substitute shinigami was once again training with the vizard, and he hadn't been able to find Orihime._ Wouldn't be the first time I'm alone, I guess._ And if he was honest with himself, the brown-skinned young man was finding it hard to even want to have company.

"Hi, Yasutora!"

Without further warning, a bespectacled redhead flopped onto the folding chair next to him and leaned against his right arm. His eyes confirmed who it was before his head had made the track to her face. Chizuru Honsho, their classes' resident flaming lesbian._ What's this all about? We've spoken maybe fifty words the entire time we've known each other, and now she leans on me like we're... together. And isn't she... I don't know, after Orihime?_

The girl must have noticed his stiffness, because she poked him in the ribs, hard, and giggled softly before saying in a low voice, "Relax, Sado. My parents are a few rows back and they don't know about... me, yet. I'm just using you to put them at ease. Sorry."

_Is that all? Why couldn't she just have told me in advance?_

"It's fine."

"So... you're here to watch Tatsuki, too?"

Chad grunted, and Chizuru continued, "She did really well in the first meet, took first place. I understand the top three from each meet advance, but the semifinal matches are based on points gained in the season so far, so she has to be consistently good to make it. But she was second in her age group last year, even with a broken arm, so I don't worry too much.

"Hey, are Ichigo, Rukia, and Hime coming? Do you know?"

_She sure does... talk._ "I don't think so."

Chizuru pouted before calmly snaking her arm around Chad's waist. "Damn. I wish Hime was here... even though my parents are, too. She's just so much fun, and so cute. Don't you think?"

Again, her only response was a grunt. _She is funny, smart too. And I guess she's cute. She's not really my type, though. Still... if only Chizuru knew... about all of us, really. Maybe she'd realize Orihime just isn't like her. We're all so different from everyone else. This power we have... it sets us apart. _

"What are you brooding for, Sado?"

He looked up to see Tatsuki, now in her spotless white gi, standing before them. Because they were seated in the first row, closest to the match, Tatsuki's eyes were level with Chad's. She seemed to be in a very bad mood about something.

"Hi, Arisawa!" Chizuru blurted, "Good luck in your matches today. We're rooting for you!"

Suddenly smiling, though Chad noticed it didn't include her dark eyes, the black haired girl beamed at the red head, "Thank you, Chizuru! I appreciate it. I'll make sure I win, just for you, OK?"

Without another word, the fighter stalked away to join the others lining up beside her age group's circle.

Chizuru placed one long, slender finger on her jawline and asked, "What was that about? She normally only gets that way when I'm hanging on Orihime."

Some matches were over quickly, others were drug out for ten minutes or more before a clear victor was found. Some of the fastest were Tatsuki's. This particular tournament made no allowance for gender, only age, so she was continually paired up against men, many of whom were either much bigger or much stronger than she was. Regardless of physical size, Tatsuki's quick movements, applied leverage, and superior technique led her to victory each time.

The final match was due to begin in just a minute, and she was already out in the center of the floor, stretching. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she had visible damp spots on her back and underarms, but she wasn't breathing very quickly. Her opponent was another male, this one a superior fighter as well. He looked vaguely familiar to Chad, but the young man couldn't place him.

"You know, she's really not my type," Chizuru said suddenly, "But Tatsuki really is pretty cute, too. Don't you think?"

"Yeah."

_What. The. Hell. Did I just say that out loud? Why did I even _agree_? She's just Ichigo's and Orihime's friend, isn't she? I barely even know her._

Chizuru stiffened slightly beside him, but continued in a casual voice, "Don't get me wrong. She's all sweaty and gross right now, but she has so much confidence. That's what it is, I think. What makes her so sexy. Well, that and her physique. Nothing on Orihime _there_, of course, but she's pretty well-formed. Right?"

This time, Chad caught himself before he could answer. However, Chizuru squirmed a little closer to him and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

As she was drawing back to where she had been leaning before, Tatsuki happened to glance in their direction.

When the match finally began, the black-haired fighter was shaking with suppressed rage, but if you'd asked her point-blank why, she would not have been able to say. When the referee cried "Hajime!", Tatsuki leapt directly at her opponent, immediately tackling him to the ground and landing two vicious punches to a spot on his ribs where he'd already been hit earlier that day.

"Not valid! Penalty to Arisawa, one point to Yajirobe!" the ref cried out after he'd separated the two. "You know tackles are not allowed, Arisawa, one more like that and I'm going to disqualify you. Are you two ready for a fair match?"

The young man, wincing from pain but grinning for the free point, nodded. Tatsuki growled her assent, and the match was on again.

Both fighters were very skilled, both fast. Chad looked down to see Chizuru's eyes flickering back and forth as fast as she could move them to track the two, and even he had trouble with it, and he'd _been_ in life-and-death combat more times now than he could remember. They traded punches, palm heels, roundhouses, snap kicks, and other blows in a blur, but neither could land more than one or two blows per minute. Since the championship rules for this level of tournament required a point spread of three points to end a match, it was dragging out much longer than normal. Only twice in the first ten minutes did either combatant gain a two-point lead, but each time a flurry of attacks narrowed the margin out of the danger zone at once.

"Wow, she's really going at it. I'm starting to think she could take on those monsters you guys fight all the time if she really wanted to."

Even totally focused on the match as he was, Chad nearly fell out of the chair when Chizuru said that. _Those monsters we're fighting... she can see them too? How come she's never said anything? Does she know about... Orihime?_

"You don't have to act all surprised. Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro followed you guys into that weird shop a while back. They saw you go into that Gate, or whatever it was. Then a couple weeks ago, right before school got out, I walked in on them discussing it. They pretended there was nothing going on at first... that it was just a game. Then I told them I could see the monsters, too. And they told me all they knew."

"What they knew?" _Damn, I hope it wasn't too much. It's better if they don't know._

"Yep. Mr. Urahara explained quite a bit of it to us. He told us about your powers, and a little about Orihime's, and the Soul Society and all that. He told us that that Renji guy, Toshiro-kun, Rangiku, and the bald and vain guys were all shinigami. Rukia too, of course, but most of us figured that out before he said it."

_Damn. So he pretty much told them everything. Now how are we going to keep them out of it? They don't have any powers to protect themselves, much less everyone else. Tatsuki's a good fighter, but she'd get creamed in a fight with a Hollow, she's got tiny reiatsu. Kon has more._ "Hn."

Chizuru's arm was pulled back quickly and she stood up suddenly, cheering out, "Go Tatsuki! We believe in you! Squish that ugly guy!"

His mind suddenly back at the match, he rose to stand beside Chizuru as Tatsuki looked over. "Get him, Arisawa!"

The fighter gave a quick nod in response, then performed a bow to the referee after the two warriors had returned to the start lines. "The match is now seventeen points to fifteen, Miss Arisawa in the lead. Begin!"

At first, Chad was afraid she would be disqualified, because just as she had before, Tatsuki had leapt straight toward the other man. This time, though, she gave a great leap and flipped over him, keeping her arms and legs tucked in so it was clear she wasn't attacking him illegally. No sooner had she begun descending than she came out of her roll with one foot down, taking the momentum in one muscled leg. Using her arms to spin her around as she came down, Tatsuki used her leg as a spring to come right back up, her other knee directed to the small of her opponent's unprotected back.

"Point, Arisawa! Match, Arisawa! The tournament, with a total of thirty-six points, goes to Arisawa!" the announcer cried after the ref's whistle blew. Tatsuki's knee was a fraction of an inch away from doing major damage to the poor man's spine. She gracefully returned to her normal stance and gave her opponent and the ref a bow as Chad and Chizuru ran toward her.

"Tatsuki, that was amazing!"

"Very good, Arisawa," Chad said. Her opponent was still in the same position he'd been when she jumped, his eyes wide. The girl, however, had a tight smile plastered on her face as she toweled her face and neck.

"Thanks, you two. I'll see you later."

And then she was gone, maneuvering through the cheering crowd away from her friends.

_What? Is she... mad at us?_

_---  
_

"Of _course_ I'm mad! How do you think you guys think Orihime will feel with you guys hanging all over each other like that? Chizuru's liked her since middle school, and Chad, you're one of Ichigo's and our best friends. Now you show up to the meet together, all lovey-dovey, and you don't even _tell_ anyone? You guys are despicable! Get out of the way, I'm going home. I don't want to see either of you right now, you make me _sick!_"

_What? We didn't show up together... and it was only Chizuru that was 'lovey-dovey'. How can she even think I would do that to Orihime, even if I _did_ like Tat... I mean... Chizuru?_

"I don't–"

"Stow it, Sado! I said get out of the way! I need to meet my parents. _Move_."

Since Tatsuki had started yelling, Chizuru hadn't said a word. She must have known it wouldn't have done any good anyway, that the other girl needed some time to cool off before they explained. Or maybe she was just afraid. _It's not like Arisawa doesn't beat her up often enough for touching Orihime. I wouldn't be surprised if she's terrified of Tatsuki._

After the warrior had stalked by them to join her family at the entrance to the Karakura High gymnasium, Chizuru and Sado were left alone again. The lesbian had convinced her parents to let Chad walk her home since they wanted to talk to Tatsuki after the match.

"She didn't like that... she _knows_ I like Orihime, so why was she so mad? She must have known I was just pretending... right?"

It was the first words the red head has spoken for almost ten minutes after Tatsuki had stormed off, but Chad still had no reply ready.

"Maybe she's jealous of you? Nah, that can't be it. She hates it that I like Orihime, she'd be happy if I fell for a guy... I think. Maybe she's... nah, that's crazy."

An hour later, Chizuru had left Chad a little ways from her house, and being the gentleman he tried to be, he watched her walk up to her door and go inside, still mumbling to herself about what Tatsuki's problem was before he turned to make his way toward his own apartment.

He had unconsciously chosen a route that took him right past the Kurosaki Clinic and household, not even really aware that the path would also take him right by Ichigo's neighbor, Tatsuki Arisawa.

When she caught up to him, she was again in the casual clothes she'd been wearing when she passed him on the way to the tournament. It was typical Japanese shoolgirl casual wear. Tight t-shirt with a loose button-up thrown over it, jeans and sneakers. He'd sensed her before he heard her, an unusual thing in itself. While Chad was in his own way far more sensitive to reiatsu than Ichigo, not being one to blind himself with his own energy, Tatsuki had never really registered on his senses before today.

The giant young man turned to face her when she was still a few feet away. Her face and neck were pink, and a scowl was on her face.

"What do you think you two were _doing_ back there, anyway?"

"Nothing." _If she'll even believe the truth. Doesn't seem like it, right now."_

"Nothing? I don't believe that for a second! You did a good job of pretending to watch the matches, but I could tell you weren't paying all that much attention, especially after she put her arm around you. So what were you _really_ doing?"

"I was... watching you."

Arisawa seemed taken aback for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Oh, I see. The whole time we've been classmates, you act like your only friend is Ichigo. Then Rukia shows up and she's let into the circle, then Orihime and that Ishida guy, then Abarai and that weird little white-haired kid and his freakish sister, or whatever. And after _all that_, after practically _ignoring_ the rest of your friends for a year, you suddenly start going out with Chizuru, and eyeing _me_? I don't believe a word of it!"

"No, I..."

Before he could finish the statement, Tatsuki's knee crashed into Chad's groin. After he'd hit the ground, the girl continued to kick and occasionally hit him, regardless of target. Arms, ribs, head, neck, she hit them all until he had actually passed out from the pain.

---


	2. Chapter 2: The Second day

**A/N:** Welcome to the second chapter of Seven Days from Heaven. As always, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo's characters, art, storyline, etc. I just write in his world because it's awesome. :D

Anyway, Enjoy.

---

**Chap. 2- The second day**

The fifty kilogram bag flew away from her, and on it's return, she whipped her left foot into a crescent kick, sending the bag swinging completely around her. She was about to hit it again when something small and light struck the top of her head. Tatsuki threw herself to the right and looked around, but the room was empty. _Is it... one of those Hollow things? One I can't see?_

A small sound caught her attention, and she turned back toward the bag still making sweeping arcs on it's long chain. There was a trickle of plaster and white paint falling where she'd been standing, directly beneath the hook the bag was hung on. It looked like she'd been hitting it too hard and too often, judging by the state of the hook. It was half pulled from the beam in the ceiling. _The coach is going to kill me, that's the third one this year. If only I didn't keep seeing him... with her. I don't even know why I'm mad!_

After the girl had completed her workout and showered, she began moving through the deserted halls toward the entrance. She was just passing the homeroom when she heard a faint sob. She cracked the door as silently as possible, but let out an audible gasp when she saw who it was. _What the hell? What's Chizuru doing here on a Sunday? And... why is she crying?_

"Oh... um... hi, Tatsuki," the redhead said quietly, not trying to hide her dripping face and puffy red eyes.

"Chi.. Chizuru, what happened? Did... what did Yasutora do to you?"

The crying stopped at once, now the girl looked simply thunderstruck. "No.. no! He didn't do anything. Chad wouldn't hurt any of us. He's the nicest out of all our friends, and–"

"Then what is it? Why are you crying? _Who made you cry?_"

"You."

Tatsuki Arisawa was a champion-level black belt, had faced down, if not defeated, two Hollows and shown little fear in doing it. But that word, that simple answer to a simple question, filled her with horror from head to toes.

"M... me?" Before she knew what she was doing, the girl had crossed to the far corner of the room and taken her usual desk, right next to Orihime's where Chizuru was sitting.

"What did I... how... you get beat up all the time and laugh it off, so why are you crying when I haven't even done anything?"

There was silence in the dark classroom for a long time before Chizuru answered. "It's not because you hurt me... I'm sorry for you."

The surprise before paled next to this one, but Tatsuki thought she knew what the girl meant. _I mean, all of our friends have boyfriends, or at least people they like. But who do I have? I've spent my whole life getting stronger, and what do I have to show for it? Sure, I'm a good fighter, but Orihime, who I promised to protect no matter what, had to save Chizuru and me from that monster. Even Ichigo's ten-year-old sister was able to beat that one I almost broke my hand on last week. I'm not even anything to look at, so all the guys brave enough to ask out someone that can beat them up aren't at all interested._

"–the guys just want to watch me with another girl anyway. I know you think it's only lust with Orihime, but," Tatsuki was brought back to reality by the sudden venom in the usually cheerful girl's voice, "I really do love her. You can beat me up all you want, but I'll never stop. I guess... what I really feel sorry for you about is that you don't know what that feels like."

Tatsuki had nothing to say.

"I know you love your friends enough to die for them, but I'm talking about something else entirely. I love Orihime enough to _live_ for her. To devote my whole heart to her happiness. To live knowing that even though she will _never feel the same way_, I can live my life knowing that she at least acknowledges my feelings. _That's_ why I pity you."

_Pity? Damn... why does she pity _me?_ I'd rather be alone than never have a chance at requited... whatever._

"Well... I don't really know what to say, Chizuru."

The redhead gave a wistful smile and removed her foggy glasses to wipe at her eyes. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that some people care if you're lonely, that's all. I'm sure Orihime feels the same way as I do, especially about you. You two are like, best friends, and she understands you better than anyone else, I think."

_Tch. It's not like I really care all that much... do I?_ Tatsuki was now almost home, she could see the bright blue sign of the Kurosaki Clinic a few blocks away, her own home just beside it. _So what if I don't have a boyfriend? I'm only fifteen, there's plenty of time. Older, more mature guys probably wouldn't be so easily intimidated by me anyway. Pity... I don't get that at all. People say I'm a genius, a phenom. I have more medals and trophies for martial arts than just about anyone in the world my age, so what difference does it make to me if I have much of a social life? _

_I say that... _

_But do I really mean it?_

_I think I do..._

_No, I'm sure I do._

_It would be nice to have... someone else, someone to have a romantic relationship with. But I really don't care all that much. If I did, I would participate in the other girl's discussions about who they like... go out to Karaoke more often... ask a guy out, for once. It's not like I'm shy. I don't _want_ to be distracted, I like my life the way it is... that's why I chose it..._

_... right?_


	3. Chapter 3: The Third day

**A/N:** Welcome to the third chapter of Seven Days from Heaven. As always, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo's characters, art, storyline, etc. I just write in his world because it's awesome. :D

Anyway, Enjoy.

**Chap. 3 The third day**

Chad woke up early the next day, his mind screaming and blood boiling. He knew that feeling.

Climbing into the pants he'd been wearing yesterday, spared a quick glance to the clock on his way out the door. Four forty-five AM. Ichigo and Rukia were both light sleepers, but he knew from experience that at this time of morning, it would take them both a little while to wake up, and the Hollow he could feel was much closer to his apartment than the Kurosaki home.

Not bothering with socks, shoes, or a shirt, the big man tore out his front door and down the street.

"_**Puny human! I'll eat your soul!**"_

_Hn. I've heard that one before. It feels like a Menos, much weaker than an Arrancar. Won't be a problem._ Chad summoned the power in his right arm, and it turned jet-black with a wide red stripe running it's length, two thin white lines bordering it. Extending from his shoulder was a two-foot spike.

"_**I see! You're with the substitute!**_" The scorpion-shaped monstrosity scuttled diagonally forward, zigzagging toward the human. Patiently, Sado waited and watched until the beast was within striking distance– which was still outside of his own by a good two meters.

The sail at the back lashed out, and Chad was a hair's breadth too slow. He grunted when the sting, dripping a green, viscous substance, pierced his unprotected left shoulder.

"_**Powers or not, you are no match for me, insect!**_" The Hollow scuttled further out of Chad's reach.

Then the young man pulled his arm back, his fist suddenly shining with a blue light so bright it was almost white. "El... Directo!" he cried, letting fly with a punch in the creature's direction. The beam flew straight and true, like it always did, striking the bone-white mask that represented both a Hollow's heaviest armor and most vulnerable area. When the blast had faded, Chad was stunned to see the Hollow still standing.

"**_Fool! Your attacks are powerless because of my venom! It's time for you to die!_**"

And it seemed the beast was right. Chad could still feel Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu Ishida, and Orihime Inoue, most of them still sleeping, only Rukia awake. But she wasn't moving, probably looking for her soul pager. There was no help coming.

"Don't think so."

_I'll be damned if I'm going to give up just like that. So what if it's weakened my reiatsu? I'm still plenty strong enough to take it out hand-to-hand. Especially if I use both arms._

The Hollow gave a mocking laugh and dashed forward again, this time coming straight at him, it's tail held high. Chad jumped forward at the last minute, causing the creature to overshoot with it's tail, but it recovered far too quickly, and both sets of pincers closed around him.

"Ugh."

_Too slow again. I really need to work on that. At least I'm close enough to hit it, for now._ The black-armored hand came crashing down, hammering into the top of the Hollow's mask. Lines suddenly appeared across it's surface, but it did not break. The beast roared in pain, reflexively throwing Chad away. He slammed into a building head first.

---

Four AM was too early for even a morning person like Tatsuki to be up, but if truth be told, she was a little worried about the meet coming up this Saturday, and was trying to get in a little extra practice. Of course, that happened every tournament she was in, so she knew the janitors and 'very' early teachers at her Junior High wouldn't be all that surprised to see her. Like she always did when she was heading to school before Orihime or Ichigo and Rukia, she ran as soon as she'd left her yard.

_What the hell... what is that? My guts are twisting... It's like _that time_. Is there another...? And what will I do if there is?_

Then she heard it speak.

"**_Fool! Your attacks are powerless because of my venom! It's time for you to die!_**"

_Someone's fighting that thing... which means it's someone I know. And they're losing. Damn!_

Still carrying her school and gym bags, her speed almost double as she began sprinting through town in the direction of the noise, the discomfort in her stomach growing rapidly worse.

Just before she rounded what she knew was the final corner, she heard it scream in pain. She caught a glimpse of the creature as it faded back into a dark whole in reality, and her eyes flickered around looking for the one who'd struck the blow.

_Oh no. Not Chad!_

It was true that Tatsuki Arisawa had suddenly found herself virtually without close friends shortly after Rukia Kuchiki had come into their lives. Of course, she didn't fault the girl. She liked her as much as anyone else. Well... maybe not as much as Ichigo did. She couldn't even hate that Ichigo had suddenly gotten so strong and gone off into this strange world where she couldn't follow. She didn't hate that Orihime had followed him where she couldn't, leaving her other best friend behind. _That_ was what she hated. Being left behind.

_I mean, I'm part of that world now, too... at least a little. I can see the strange afro-guy in black that Keigo's always yammering about. I've seen Ichigo and Rukia wearing the same thing. I've seen Orihime's glowy powers, and I know Chad has... something. I can even see their enemies... and from what I've seen, they're my enemies too. So why can't I help them? Am I just too weak?_

But the creature seemed to be gone, for now. And Yasutora was slumped against the crumbling facade of a nearby home. There was a light on, someone was up. She needed to get him away from there... there was no way either could explain away the damage done to the house.

---

For the second time in third time in three days, Chad woke up in pain. The first had been because of Tatsuki, of course. The second had been the relatively minor discomfort of the Hollow's presence. This time, he was pretty sure it was also because of the Hollow... though more because of it's attacks. _I guess I'm lucky I'm waking up at all. That was a pretty strong poison._

"You there, Yasutora?"

There was a gentle slap on his cheek, then the other side. The hands were small, warm. Of course, everyone's hands were small compared to Chad, but still. "I'm awake."

"Good. I thought you were a goner. Whatever that Hollow put in you did... something. Your pulse was really erratic for a while, but it's starting to straighten out."

_Arisawa?_ "Oh."

He felt something strike his forehead quickly, and opened his eyes to see Tatsuki pulling her hand away. She'd just flicked him in the forehead. "Typical Yasutora. You find out you almost died, and all you say is 'oh'. Heh, good thing I woke up early to practice, right? When I found you, the owner of the house you hit was about to come out and see what the noise was. I just barely got you behind the neighbor's hedge when he saw the crater you made. There are cops all over the area now."

"Cops?"

"Of course," she answered, a little surprised, "the guy called them before he even went outside, probably. I mean, you aren't small, and that Hollow threw you really hard. Big hole, you know?"

_Damn. What do I tell her?_

"What... is a Hollow?"

The face she made almost made him cringe. Almost.

"Don't you dare pull that with me, Sado. They're my friends too, and I have a right to know what's going on. So spill it. You owe me for getting you out of there anyway."

_She's right about that, at least._

"Fine. First we went to the Soul Society. Freed Rukia. Ichigo did, anyway. The rest of us were... distractions. When we came back, we fought Bount. Vampires. When Ichigo was gone for a month, he was training with the Vizard to control his Hollow powers. Then Orihime was kidnapped when she was returning from Soul Society, training with Rukia. So we went to Hueco Mundo to get her back. Now we're here."

---

_What the hell? Never more than five words at a time- and that's rare- and now this? Bount? Vampires? Orihime... kidnapped? Hueco Mundo... whatever the hell that is?_

"Okay..." Tatsuki said, one hand over her face, trying to remain calm, "I don't really get that. But I can have it explained later, I guess. What I really want to know is why you guys can do all this stuff but I can't. I've spent... my whole life trying to get strong, and you guys just... show up one day, with powers that can blow me away."

"It's not like that."

She pulled her hand down at once, shooting him a glare, and stood up to tower over his still-slumped form. "The hell it's not! I've fought Hollows myself, you know. The first time, where Orihime got her powers. I watched the whole thing happen while that _monster_ made me attack my best friends. Then just before the season started, I got attacked _again_. This time it was only after _me_. I fought as hard as I could, even aimed for the mask like I've seen you guys do. I still have the bruises, and I never made a dent. Do you know who saved me?"

Chad shook his head once, but said nothing.

"It was Ichigo's _twelve year old sister_. The black haired one... Karin."

---

_Karakura Red. The soccer ball one. The one I saved... when I got my arm._

"Do you know how humiliating that was to me? Not that it really matters. But here I am, competing in one of the most challenging martial arts seasons in history, and _winning_. But just last week I got my ass saved by some little girl."

"They go after people with high reiatsu."

He knew she wouldn't know the word, so he was already taking a breath to answer her question when she asked it. "It's... spirit power. You might call it Ki. Or Chakra. It's how our powers work."

She was silent for a long time. Eventually, Tatsuki sat down next to him and leaned back against the garden wall he was on, gazing up at the slowly-lightening sky.

"So... how do you get those powers? I hate being useless, I want to help you guys."

"I... no."

"No? You think you can just say no, just like that?"

_I did, didn't I? It's better if she stays out of it._

"It's better if you don't get involved."

"Better for _who_? Do you think I'll get in the way? Is that it? Just another person you guys would have to protect? I'm not stupid. I know when I'm outmatched, and I always have. But I want to help. Not just Orihime, either. You guys are all my friends. Aren't you?"

_Ouch._

"Yes."

"Good, it's decided then. Tomorrow, you start including me in your group. You train me so I can use these weird powers you guys have, and I'll teach you to fight better. Move faster. Things like that."

_How... what the hell did she just decide?_

Shortly after homeroom began later that day, Chad heard a quiet, "Pst. Come up to the roof for lunch. We need to talk."

He gave Ichigo a short nod, because the sensei was already looking in their direction, her eyebrows twitching.

"Glad you could make it, Chad," Uryu said when the big man finally walked through the door out onto the roof. The circle of friends were all there, at least the ones with above-normal abilities. Each of them was visibly surprised to see Tatsuki following closely behind Sado, however.

"Uh... Hi Tatsuki," Orihime said quietly, her cheeks pink.

Tatsuki waved, grinning, and calmly sat down between Orihime and Rukia like she did it every day.

"Chad... Can I talk to you?" Ichigo asked quietly.

_So it starts already._

"Sure."

There was a pause while Chad sat down on Orihime's other side, the only clear spot left in the circle.

"In private?" _There goes his eyebrows. Just like sensei, like his father too, and his little sister._

He was saved by Tatsuki. "Let it go, strawberry. I'm staying, and that's final. You wouldn't want Chad to go back on his word, would you?"

His eyes wide, the orange-haired kid looked back over to Chad. "You... promised her?"

"No."

"There, see," Ichigo said, again glaring at Tatsuki, "Look, I know you feel left out. I'm sorry. But this conversation can't concern you."

Her eyes just as hard as his, Tatsuki glared up at him, fully aware that their other friends were slowly inching away, or at the least trying to make themselves unobtrusive. "I don't give a damn what you _think it concerns_, Ichigo. I care about what it _does_ concern. You already know I can see the Hollows, and you in your shinigami form. I'm telling you I've had enough. I'm not letting you guys go risk your lives, or your spirits, or souls, or whatever, without me there to back you up. That's it, that's final, no more discussion. Chizuru, Ryo, the others might let it slide. I won't. You and I have been friends since we were four years old, but if you try _one more time_ to try and leave me behind, our friendship is over. Is that clear?"

There was a collective intake of breath. Even Chad's stoic face showed real shock. Ichigo took two quick steps back and plopped down into a cross-legged position, refusing to look anywhere near her, his face almost as red as his hair. "I don't... that's not... _fine_. But don't come complaining to me if you get hurt or killed. I've done my best to keep you all out of it, to keep you safe."

Tatsuki nodded, the fire leaving her eyes. "Thanks for trying. It means a lot to all of us knowing what you're doing on our behalf. And believe me, most of us know. Keigo, Chizuru, and Mizuiro, at least."

He didn't reply, but he started, slowly, to relax. Rukia took that sign as her cue to speak. "Well... I can't say I'm really happy you're here, Arisawa. I'm with Ichigo on this.... but we could use the help. The reason I needed everyone here is because we had an update from Captain-General Yamamoto."

All eyes went to her, but as she was looking over, Tatsuki heard Orihime whisper, "I'll explain later. Just listen, it's probably big."

"We've received reports that the Espada are on the move again. The intel suggests that Aizen may be ready to make his move. Or if not now, then soon. The General wants to mount a first strike into Hueco Mundo, directly at Los Noches before Aizen makes his move. The other Captains agree for the most part. And they want us to go. All of us. He wants me to point out that if Miss Inoue," giving a nod toward the pretty girl, "feels uncomfortable returning to the place she was imprisoned, he will understand. He also acknowledges that except for myself, none of you are under any obligation to go. However, he also wanted me to tell you that, frankly, we need your help. Aside from power levels in Kido, skill with a Zanpakuto, and the sword's innate abilities, there isn't much difference in the way shinigami fight from each other. But everyone here except Ichigo and myself has unique abilities... except Tatsuki, of course," giving another nod toward her, "so she will probably need to stay here. I'm not sure we can even get her into Hueco Mundo anyway with her level of power."

"I promised my father I would have nothing more to do with shinigami," Uryu said, "But my obligation to protect this town and world is more important. I'm in."

"Me too!" Orihime said, pumping her fist into the air.

"Heh, you know I'm in," Ichigo replied, "Can't have Renji or Byakuya showing up to a battle I'm not at, right? Bad for my image."

Rukia smiled, knowing he was going to say something like that, and looked toward Chad, "And of course, Chad's coming. So that's everyone that can go."

"I'm staying."

This time, all eyes except Tatsuki's were on Chad. Her own were staring rigidly down at her shoes. _Is he... staying for me? To help me train?_

"I am staying to protect Karakura."

The others looked around at each other for a moment, and just like that it was decided. It _did_ make perfect sense to have one of the strongest of them remain behind, of course.

Tatsuki chose that moment to say something, "Rukia, you're sure I won't be able to go with everyone else?"

The small shinigami gave her a sad smile and nodded, "I'm sorry, Tatsuki. Even if we could get you through the gate alive, with your level of reiatsu, the first Hollow insect we came across could kill you. It's just not safe."

She said nothing else, just nodded and resumed staring at her shoes.

_I guess... I'll focus on the training and tournament then. Maybe it'll help me keep my mind off... them._


	4. Chapter 4: The Fourth day

**A/N:** Welcome to the fourth chapter of Seven Days from Heaven. As always, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo's characters, art, storyline, etc. I just write in his world because it's awesome. :D

Enjoy- because you can!

**Chap. 4 The fourth day**

Tatsuki watched Yasutora walk into the dojo with some apprehension. He was wearing sweats, at least, but she would have preferred having him in a full gi. He bowed at the edge of the tatami, at least.

"Afternoon, Sado!" she called, her voice forceful as it always was when she was working out, "No gi? That's disrespectful, you know!"

He stopped at once, his expression guarded, "Sorry. My size is..."

"Hard to find? Try an American store, OK? They usually have larger sizes. I guess it's okay for now. Show me your stance, then."

She had him stand there for a minute, examining his posture, then started nudging him with her toes to adjust his stance. He complied with her instructions as well as he could, but it was apparent that even he was losing patience after a few minutes. "Just say it."

The girl stepped away a little, smirking and waving one finger, "No can do. I do it this way on purpose. One, so you can get used to me touching you. I'm going to be doing it a lot." Her face turned a little pink, and she could have sworn she saw Chad's eyes widen in surprise for a moment. "Uh... second... to... oh, yeah. To get you used to following nonverbal commands. It's something Rukia suggested."

"Kuchiki?"

The black-haired girl nodded once, smiling, "Yeah. She seemed pretty excited about the idea when I asked for her advice. She got all serious for a while, and started rambling about tactics and stuff like that. It took me about twenty minutes to calm her down again.

"Anyway, the point is, in a battle you can't always afford to shout instructions to your allies, sometimes a nudge or a push has to get the message across. This is practice for that. It's something she and Ichigo have been working on for a while, apparently."

Sado couldn't contain his response. "I bet they practice touch commands out of combat, too. A lot."

_Did... wow, did he really say that? Sado's an Ecchi! Who knew? _

With a monumental effort at self-control, Tatsuki kept the laughter from her voice, "Not really my business. Or yours, is it? Anyway... back to work. You need to keep your stance a little spread so you have stability, but you don't want it to be too far out because then you lose your leverage and mobility."

He nodded quietly, and responded, "Ichigo has a wide stance, Orihime's is too narrow. Ishida and Rukia are about in the middle."

"Heh," Tatsuki said taking a stance in front of Sado, "Ichi always did have a wide stance, yeah. He keeps thinking he should be a rock. I guess with that giant Zanpakuto it makes sense, but I think he'd be better if he adjusted his style to be more like Rukia's. Now... I'm going to start out slow, just using some basic moves. Your boxing training should be able to handle it, even if I start using kicks. Just counter as best you can, all right?"

* * *

The girls' basketball team for their year had come and gone from practice, followed by the senior boys', then the track team running laps around the gym because the weather had turned foul before Tatsuki finally called a quits to their own session.

"That's pretty good, Sado. Your form is pretty sloppy, and it's obvious you rely way too much on your size and strength, but you definitely have potential. You free tomorrow for more work? I have practice for the meet and have to do my homework before that, but I have a few hours tomorrow night if you want. Probably around Six?"

"Sure."

"All right then. Let's hit the shower, and you can walk me home. We need to talk, too."

---

_Hn. Her hair's dripping, still. Did she forget her towel? Her shirt is... uh... pink bra... No. Mind out of the gutter. She's your friend, show some respect._ "Hey, Arisawa... did you forget a towel?"

The girl blushed a little and nodded, using her hands to shake more water from her hair, "Yeah... not the first time. Usually I just wait to air-dry, but since you were waiting for me..."

_She didn't notice. That's good, hopefully she won't. She doesn't need to be embarrassed._

"So," Tatsuki began as they walked toward the school gates through the now-empty grounds, "You're staying to protect the town. Is that something I can help with?"

_I hope not._

"Maybe. It depends on your reiatsu if we get attacked."

"You mentioned something about that before. Spirit pressure? How can I build mine up? Is it some exercise?"

_She thinks it's just another martial art... she doesn't get it._

"It's... different than that. My power was awoken when I needed to protect others. You remember that talking cockatiel?"

They were half way to Tatsuki's house when he finished relaying how his powers had begun to manifest in protecting poor Shibata, and later protecting Ichigo's sister. She didn't ask any questions at first, but saved them all up for the end.

"So the reason so many people around here have this high reiatsu or whatever is because of Ichigo? He leaks so much out that we absorb, and we get strong because of that?"

"Seems so."

"Hmm... maybe I should spend some more time around him to build my powers, then."

"No."

"What? How can you say something like that, Yasutora?" She wasn't incensed, but he could tell she was a little annoyed that he'd said it so bluntly. He wasn't all that sure why he'd even said it. He wasn't jealous. Was he? Ichigo had Rukia. He wouldn't do anything to Tatsuki.

_Then why do I care so much? They are my friends, I know I can trust them. Do I..._

"I can help you with it. Spend more time with me, and your powers will eventually wake up."

She stopped suddenly, and he was three paces past her before he noticed she was no longer beside him. "Arisawa?"

When Sado turned to look at her, the girl's expression was carefully neutral, but there was... something... in her eyes. _I've never noticed how green they are. I thought they were hazel. But they're really a dark green. Like pine needles. It's really pretty. ...oh, no. This is _not_ good._

"Chad?"

It was the first time he could remember the girl ever calling him by his nickname. Up until a few days ago, she'd almost always used his family name, only recently had they become familiar enough for the use of his given name. But his nickname? That was something even Orihime and Uryu didn't do often. Pretty much only Ichigo.

"Hn?"

"You really want me to spend more time with you?"

_I knew it. She's sharper than she lets on... my foot's in the fire now._ "I..."

His answer was drowned by a high-pitched shriek, "Tatsuki and Sado! You guys make _such_ a cute couple! I'm so happy for you!"

---

"Chi... Chizuru? What are you doing here?" _How did she sneak up on us? She's behind Chad, but I never even saw her... oh. She was behind... Chad. Sneaky bitch!_

"I was just out to get some shopping done for dinner. I never thought I'd see the two of you having a serious discussion like this in the street, though. If you guys ever need love advice, come to me, okay? I'm happy to help!" The red-head was already past them, waving with one hand and carrying a loaded bag with the other. She called back, still excited, "Don't be shy! Just make sure you tell each other how you feel, and it'll all work out!"

_How... how I feel? What does she... how did... no! We're just friends! Partners!_ "What... what was she getting at? Is there something you need to tell me, Yasutora?"

The giant grunted and turned away, but said nothing.

_He's quiet, but that's not like him. He always answers a question. At least with a look._

"I... I didn't mean to upset you, if I did... If you don't want to answer, you don't have to. I mean, it _was_ just Chizuru, and we all know she's crazy. Right?"

_Crazy... but right. Damn her! As if her bugging Hime wasn't bad enough, now she has to but into my love life too? Tch. My love life. Right. Even Sado has better taste than that. And look at _his_ clothes. Roses on a man... feh._

"She's not."

_What._

_The._

_Hell._

_Did he just... _No._ He couldn't have. Did he?_

"Don't misunderstand. You are my friend. We are allies. Compatriots. But something she said the other day. At the meet.... made me think."

He put his hands to each side of his hairy head and shook it quickly, then resumed in a voice that _might_ have actually been trembling, "I... don't listen to me. I don't know what I'm talking about."

As Tatsuki watched him walk away, the darkening clouds finally began to let loose their burden, and a light rain began to fall all around them.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!"

Without doing more than listen for a response, the fighter dashed up the narrow stairwell, past her brother's room and into her own. The door slammed behind her, and Tatsuki finally let herself relax. This room was her only sanctuary from the world. Outside of her family, only Orihime had ever seen it. If the truth was known, Tatsuki's reputation might be damaged forever. She was known throughout the school as a tomboy through and through, and no one picked a fight with her. The only time she'd ever displayed what Chizuru called 'womanly charm' was when she explained that writing "Tatsuki" in Hiragana was much more feminine and cuter than writing it in the normal Kanji method._ The letters are so blocky in Kanji._

The room itself was... almost typical of a junior high girl's room. Posters of her favorite movie stars and bands adorned the walls. One wall was devoted to pictures of Orihime, with some of their other friends scattered throughout. The bedspread was eggshell blue, patterned with cherry blossoms blowing in the wind. There were a few stuffed animals in the corners, even a diary partially hidden under her bed. _I haven't written in it in a while. I should start again. But what do I write? I hate just writing events. And I don't know what to feel._

Trying to keep her mind of her troubles, not just Chad but all of her friends and the danger they were placing themselves in, the girl began going through her closet and dresser, sorting her clothing. Every once in a while, she did this to calm down. Her parents considered it wasteful to throw half of her outfits away all the time, but to Tatsuki, it was very therapeutic. The simple repetition combined with actually having to decide what she liked and didn't over and over again always seemed to help her find her center. _No, this one won't do. And it used to be a favorite of mine... maybe Chizuru would like it. This one, though... yeah. It's simple, dark, but vibrant. It looks a lot like that shirt of Chad's, actually. Maybe I should throw it out, too. Nah. It's not my fault our tastes are similar. Right?_

It was almost an hour later when she finished, but her mind was finally made up. She stepped over the massive pile of clothing she'd be giving to her friends or donating to charity and climbed up onto her bed. Placing her back against the wall by her headboard, she glanced out her window toward the Kurosaki home. A long time ago, Ichigo's room had been the one across from her own, and the two would talk over the fence all the time. Now, though, that room was shared by his twin sisters and when she was visiting, Rukia. The shinigami was there now, and when she noticed, she waved her petite hand toward Tatsuki, smiling, then resumed whatever it was she was doing below the level of the window.

_Screw it. I can't call him. He'll just get freaked out if I ask him what he meant. He'll think I'm too pushy. Which I am. Why would he say that, though? That Chizuru isn't crazy? He could have been talking about Orihime... but I'd know. She likes Ichigo. And maybe Ishida Uryu. So that means he was talking about... us. Saying she wasn't crazy about us. Well, him anyway. I think _I'm _the crazy one between the two of us, really._

_Damn it! I have to know!_ Before her hesitation and cowardice could stall her any longer, Tatsuki reached over for the phone on her bedside and began dialing his number.

"Yasutora Sado speaking."

_What? No one else... I wasn't ready for him to answer! But then... he lives alone. His grandfather and parents..._

"Uh... hi, Chad. It's Tatsuki."

"Evening."

"I... I called about a couple of things. When Rukia was talking about Espada yesterday... were those the ones wearing white you were fighting a while ago? With Hollow masks, the holes, and mostly white clothes?"

"Yes. The Espada are the leaders of the Arrancar."

"That makes sense. The other thing..."

_Damn, damn! I can't just ask him. I'm such a wuss!_

"I..."

She could feel him waiting patiently on the other end of the line. Earlier, when she'd been deliberately trying to provoke him by poking him with her toes had been the closest he'd ever come to losing his temper around her, but this time she was sure he would wait forever if he had to. _I just have to do it! I have to know, or I won't know how I... That's just stupid! I have _got_ to stop lying to myself! I may not act like it all the time, but I'm a woman too. And he... I know he knows it. He has to. I just..._

"Tatsuki?"

His deep voice brought her back at once. Gripping her cell tightly with both hands, so tightly they were shaking, she eventually choked out, "Is there... is there a girl you like?"

_Stupid! What kind of inane, moronic question is that?! What am I, twelve?_

"Yes."

"Oh... I... I see. Thanks for telling me. I'll let you go."

"You don't want to know who?"

_No. It's not me, it can't be. So it's best if I don't know at all._

"Sure, if you want to tell me."

_Shit! What the hell's wrong with me tonight?!_

"It's... you."

When Tatsuki's brain resumed something similar to normal functioning, she could hear her mother yelling up the stairs, "Tatsuki! It's time for dinner! I've been calling you for five minutes!"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Chad, I have to go. Dinner. I'll see you tomorrow."

She heard the echo of something just before her finger hit the red 'end' button, but couldn't make out what he'd been saying.


	5. Chapter 5: The Fifth day

**A/N:** Welcome to the fifth chapter of Seven Days from Heaven. As always, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo's characters, art, storyline, etc. I just write in his world because it's awesome. :D

Enjoy- because you can!

**Chap. 5: The Fifth Day**

"Tatsuki-chan, is something wrong?"

_Great. Just who I wanted to see first today... Orihime. And since when did being around my best friend become such a chore, anyway? _"Oh... hi, 'hime. How are you feeling today? Nervous?" _Why should she be?I'm the one who should be nervous. She's got such good grades she can skip the winter exam and still graduate. I have to _take_ the test next month. And I have to tell Sado... well... whatever it is I need to tell him. I just wish I knew what that _was_._

"Oh, not too bad. Sensei said I can take the exam early, because I won't be here for the normal schedule. I think Ichigo and Uryu are doing it too. What about you? You seem a little depressed."

The fighter shook her head as they continued walking toward the school. "I'm just confused... I think."

Orihime laughed so hard her boobs jiggled, and clapped her small hand to Tatsuki's back, "You _must_ be confused, if you aren't sure if you're confused or not!"

The other girl forced a smile, but as always, the red head proved deceptively perceptive. She looked over at her friend seriously for a moment, then asked softly, "Is it because we're leaving you behind again?"

Tatsuki sighed and replied, "That's a small part of it, I guess, but I understand why I can't go. Really I do. I guess some of it is just pre-exam jitters. Or the tournament coming up. Or..."

The blue eyes shifted over to Tatsuki again, then flickered away as Orihime's face fell. "Or...? That's really what's bothering you, right? I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Tatsuki nodded slowly, her mouth moving silently. Finally, a block later, she choked out, "Something... happened last night."

---

Ichigo Kurosaki. Almost sixteen years old. Orange hair, dark brown eyes. Serious face. Tall. The dead considered him an invader, enemy number one, but now he was their hero. To the living, he was just another child being raised by a single parent. To a select few, though, those who could blur the lines between worlds, he was something more. Still a boy with one living parent, a brother to look up to. Still some parts villain, but mostly hero. Confidant, protector, compatriot, partner, ally. He was even a good student, if one overlooked his frequent long-term absences. Ichigo Kurosaki was all of these things, and one more.

He was very, very confused.

"He's... what?"

Rukia sighed in that way he hated so much, like she was explaining physics to a five-year-old, and repeated herself again, "He's lovesick."

"Chad..._our_ Chad... the big, quiet guy. That Chad?"

Rukia nodded, her expression tranquil, but her violet eyes dancing with mirth.

"Lovesick?"

She nodded again, this time the corners of her mouth twitched.

"I don't believe it. You must have gone crazy. Too many blows to the head, or something." If he had been less confused, Ichigo might have noticed the glimmer of laughter in the shinigami's eyes change to rage. But the bare heel of the tiny woman in front of him caught him by surprise, driving him backwards into the wall of his bedroom.

"What the hell, Rukia?" he demanded, sitting upright and rubbing his solar plexus, "I thought you said you'd stop pretending you were my dad already?"

"Baka! I said I would if you stopped acting like an idiot!"

He looked hurt, growling out, "I'm the idiot? Two days ago we finally stopped lying to each other, to ourselves. Then you try to break my ribs? Who's the baka?" He stood, wincing, and started for the door, but the girl beat him there easily, blocking his way.

"Move, Rukia."

"No."

"Move."

"No."

He bothered to look down then, expecting to see her eyes as steely as her voice. Instead, they were glistening with tears. Before he could stammer an apology- for whatever it was he'd done wrong- she stepped into his chest, folding herself against him. "I'm sorry."

Of all the things Ichigo expected his first girlfriend, first, and probably last, real love to say, that was on the bottom of the list. "No... I'm sorry. I guess I deserved that one. I was jealous, I think. I'm... just being stupid. I wanted to have... love..." his voice caught in his throat, and Rukia smiled against his chest as he continued, "for myself, so... I didn't want to believe it."

"But you do have love," she answered quietly, "right here."

"I know. That's why I'm a baka. And why I'm sorry."

---

Rukia Kuchiki was tucked tightly into the space Ichigo's warm body made as he wrapped himself around her. He was half asleep, but she needed him fully awake and knew just how to do it. She twitched once, her whole body convulsing a tiny bit, as if she had been startled. Just as the soul reaper had expected, the strawberry-haired young man jerked awake, and was up in a flash, eyes scanning the room for the threat. When he turned back to the bed to see Rukia stretching languidly, almost cat-like, he scowled and said, "That wasn't very nice."

She put on an innocent angel face, the one that worked on everyone _but_ Ichigo, and said sweetly, "Sorry. Just a dream."

"Right," he said, sitting beside her again and pulling her close.

She leaned into him for a while, then said, "Still, I'm glad you're awake. We need to talk."

Meanwhile, outside in the hall, Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu Kurosaki exchanged knowing smirks, and returned their ears to the door.

---

"He _whaaaat_?"

Orihime was... extremely lively... about a number of things, but her reaction to the news was still more than Tatsuki had expected.

"Keep it down, will ya?" the tomboy said, starting to turn scarlet, "we're getting close to the school and I don't want anyone to know, yet."

"Oh, sorry," Inoue said, blushing a little herself, "So... what did you say to him?"

".... nothing. I kind of... blacked out. Then mom was calling me for dinner."

"Oh..."

Tatsuki suddenly looked panicked. She spun, grabbing her friends shoulders, spinning the red head around to face her, "What am I going to do, 'hime?"

The princess smiled slightly, waving her hands to calm Tatsuki down and replied, "What do you want to do? Do you like him too?"

_Do I?_

"Yes? No? Kind of? A little... I guess."

Orihime's eyes rolled as she gently took the other girls' hands from her shoulders. "First you need to decide that. Then go from there."

---

As lost as she'd been before, that little bit of advice had done wonders. By the time the two reached their homeroom class, Tatsuki knew what she wanted to do. But Chad was not at school that day.

---

"No, I haven't seen him today," Ichigo said after Tatsuki had pulled him aside at lunch.

"Seen who?" she asked, faking surprise.

One of the young man's eyebrows cocked, and he said slowly, "Fine, play dumb if you want. Even I noticed the way you've been looking at him the last couple of days. Rukia and Orihime think it's great, by the way. So do Yuzu, Karin, and our dad. They were whispering about it all morning."

Tatsuki turned cherry-red, but said nothing.

"He doesn't get sick, so that's not why he's not here. He couldn't be hurt, we'd have felt any injury or pain through his reiatsu. Physical pain, at least."

The casual way Ichigo had spoken the last four words did nothing to help the stabbing pain in Tatsuki's chest. She clutched it with one hand, the other shaking at her side, her eyes out of focus.

"Tatsuki?"

She didn't respond, so Ichigo called her again. He reached out to take her shoulder, but she shook him off.

"Sorry," she muttered, "I have to go. Apologize to 'hime and the others for me, okay?"

---

"Hi, Arisawa."

Her heart fluttered just once when she heard his deep voice say her name. It was... what was the word? Soothing? Something like that.

"Hi, Yasutora-san. I was wondering if you'd be here today, since you missed school."

"I... had to go shopping today. I had something to buy."

_The gi. He's wearing one, and it even fits. Was that where he was all day?_

"It's no problem. Listen, about last night..."

He shook his head once, causing his long, curly hair to fall in front of both eyes for a moment, though she could feel the golden orbs on her the entire time, "Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Don't. Unless you want to. I'm not fragile, I won't break. If you want to just be friends, that's fine."

_What is he saying? Is he trying to let me down easy? Did he not mean it?_

"You... so... you weren't serious, then? Last night?" she had turned away, not wanting to watch his face, not wanting to feel him watching her any more. But she still could. His presence was overpowering her, like Ichigo's had after he'd first gained his powers.

_Is that his reiatsu I can feel? Or is it... just him? Or is it _me_ reacting to _him_?_

"I was serious. It's your decision."

_What? What's my decision? _

"I don't understand," she said, forcing the words out through clenched teeth, both hands curled into tight fists, "I don't get it at all. You said you liked a girl... me, right? Then you don't show up for school today, but you show for practice. What am I supposed to think? I know I kind of blew you off, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, you just took me by surprise."

While Tatsuki talked, she felt him behind her, not moving. It wasn't sound, or touch through the floor, or smell, or sight, but she _knew_ he was standing motionless, watching her back.

"So if you didn't come to school today because you were worried about how I'd react, I'm sorry. To be honest, I didn't _know_ how I felt about your... confession, I guess, until this morning right before Orihime and I got to school. But now I do, and I want to tell you. If that's okay with you."

Predictably, he said nothing until she turned around to glare at him.

"Okay."

She sighed in relief, whether it was simply being glad that she could finally let it out, or relief that he hadn't been scared off yet, she didn't know. "But first, I have to make something clear. Whatever happens, we have to be friends first. Orihime, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, they all need us. Both of us, whether they know it or not. So... even if we end up hating each other, we have to at least act friendly, for them. Agreed?"

He nodded, his hair again obscuring his eyes from her view for a moment.

"Fine then. All right. Now..."

_Damn it. Just say it, woman! It's not that hard. Sado did it. Orihime did it, sort of. Even baka Ichigo and stubborn Rukia did it, finally. _

"I don't really know what I feel. I'm sorry..."

_No! That's not it! You have to tell him the truth!_

"That's not right," she said, and he paused, now half-turned away from her, "Sorry... it's just... not that easy for a girl, you know? Give me a minute, let me see if I can make sense of it. Put it into words we can both understand."

He nodded again, but did not turn back toward her or further away.

It took almost ten minutes before she could form a complete sentence, but once she'd gotten that out, the rest flowed naturally, "I'm... too young I think, to really know what love is. But I do like you. We've never really been all that close, but you've been best friends with one of my best friends forever. Ichigo, I mean. And now you're best friends with my _other_ best friend, Orihime. So you have to be a good person.

"What I'm trying to say is... I _do_ like you, and the more I get to know you, the more I think I like you more. Does that make sense? It doesn't matter. What I mean is, I'm willing to give it a chance. I can't say I'm in love, because I don't have any comparison. But I'm willing to learn at least a little of it... with you."

Sado Yasutora took seven steps forward. Tatsuki took two back. He took one more.

The black belt had never felt so small as she did when the giant man put his arms on her shoulders, pulling her the last step toward him. His arms, as big around as even her muscled thighs, wrapped around her shoulders and Chad said quietly, "Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6: Advent Day

**A/N:** Welcome to the sixth chapter of Seven Days from Heaven. As always, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo's characters, art, storyline, etc. I just write in his world because it's awesome. :D

Enjoy- because you can!

**Chap. 6: Advent Day**

When dawn's first light fell on Yasutora Sado's face, his eyes snapped open at once. The curtain over the open window fluttered back down in the breeze, and the beam of light vanished. His eyes were still open, though, and he sat up quickly. Something was different, something out of place. His dark brown eyes flickered around his room, coming to rest on the mound of blankets beside him. They had just twitched.

_Arisawa Tatsuki._

There was no school, it was Saturday. Tatsuki had a tournament to prepare for, but she wouldn't need to be there until noon this time. _Let her sleep. She was up late with me._ If that thought had occurred to the gigantic young man just fifteen hours earlier, even his habitually stoic demeanor couldn't have hidden his blush. But nothing had happened... at least, nothing they didn't both want.

_She talks a lot. Not as much as Rukia or Orihime, though. I'm too used to a quiet home, so I'm thankful for that. And her weight leaning against me felt..._

Chad would never admit it to his friends, but he found their constant conversations, even the ceaseless arguing and bickering between Ichigo and Renji, Ichigo and Ishida, and especially Ichigo and Rukia, to be reassuring and oddly comforting. Maybe it was his own way of dealing with the solitude and quiet of living alone. _But _why_ doesn't matter. I'm glad she's here. I'll miss them when they leave, but at least she's staying with me._

_Are they really all leaving? A first strike at Los Noches? If Aizen wasn't prepared for a war, I'd think it would be a great idea. But his forces are gathered, so they won't take too long to retaliate. I hope everyone is careful._

It was ludicrous to think that they would all survive unscathed. Even with Squad Four's healing Kido backed by the truly miraculous powers Orihime wielded with increasing skill, it was far more likely the assault force would all be wiped out. _But Ichigo and the others would still make them pay. Their deaths would, at the very least, set Aizen's plans back a few hundred years, if not thousands. That's why the General wants to go, I'm sure. Even if we lose, we win in a way... and on our own terms._

His thoughts were interrupted by the telephone next to his bed ringing loudly. Chad felt the girl beside him stir, so he grabbed it and hit the talk button as quickly as he could.

"Yasutora Sado? This is Kurosaki Isshin."

_Ichigo's father? What does he need me for? That man's insanely strong. What could he possibly want? And so early?_

"It's Sado. What can I do for you?"

There was a pause on the other end, and the older man resumed speaking in a quieter, less carrying voice into the phone, "I have a favor to ask. This morning I'm going to tell my son and daughters, Rukia too, that... secret... I told you about a couple of days ago. Because I'm going to go with Kisuke, Yoruichi, and Ishida. We're joining the assault.

"What I want from you is simple. While you are protecting Karakura, I want you to use my home as your base of operations. While I would hate to see your own or Miss Inoue's homes harmed because you are being attacked there, my reasons are purely selfish ones. My older daughter, Karin. I believe you've seen her fight Hollows, correct?"

Chad nodded, then remembered his best friend's father couldn't see him, then grunted "yes".

"Excellent. So she will be at least a little familiar to you. Her growing powers have made her... well, not arrogant, but confident. And she is still so very young. I want you to protect her while you are here, both of them. Karin and Yuzu are more precious to both Ichigo and myself than either of us can admit, and if something were to happen while they were away..."

"I understand. I accept."

"Good, good. Listen, I need to go. Yuzu is waking up to make breakfast, and I can't let her know we've talked yet."

"Wait."

The other man paused, but did not hang up, so Chad continued quickly, "Can I bring- someone else- to stay as well, while you are gone? I believe she can help."

The silence was telling, but the old man simply said, "Tatsuki? She only lives right next door, son, but if you want her to stay it's fine by me," then hung up the phone.

When Chad had set it down and turned his eyes back to the girl in his bed, he saw her eyes gleaming from underneath the blankets. She asked softly, "You want me to stay at the Kurosaki's to protect me, don't you?"

He shook his head, but the cool way Tatsuki threw off the blankets and headed for his bathroom led the young man to believe she didn't buy it. _It would probably have been more convincing if I believed it a little more, myself. She's skilled, there's no doubt about it. But she just isn't as strong as the rest of us._

After a few minutes, the girl came out of the bathroom and back into his bedroom, her face and hands wet, her hair moist. "Chad, do you have a towel? I don't have time for a shower, I need to get home before my parents freak out. Hopefully Orihime will cover for me. If they found out I stayed here..."

He rose without a word and stepped over to his dresser, pulling it open. He handed her his biggest and cleanest towel, and she wiped her face gently before speaking again.

"Listen... I know I'm not as strong as the rest of you. But I want you to stop thinking of me as a burden, okay? It hurts. I spent too long fighting to be strong to be treated like a baby."

_What? I didn't mean..._

"When you and the others went off the first time, no one knew what was happening. The second time, I had an idea. At least that it was dangerous. Something about the way Orihime and Ichigo both made their excuses... this time, I _know_ people are going to get hurt. Maybe die. It's killing me not being able to help them, to fight at their sides. I'll be the last to know, again. Well, last besides Keigo and Mizuiro, at least. I at least want to know you're safe. Even if you go down... I want to know. Do you understand?

_How could I not? That's exactly how I'd feel if I was left behind... because I do. Staying was my own choice, but I still won't be there to help them. I could make a difference in who lives and dies, I know I would. But I can make a bigger difference here, if the Arrancar retaliate here. At least I can give them some warning and protection. So... _

"Yes."

She nodded, her expression carefully neutral, then asked, "So I can stay with you, then? And you will let me fight beside you if necessary?"

His answer was a long time coming, but eventually he nodded.

A few minutes later, she was on her way home, calling Orihime as she left to confirm if her parents asked that she'd stayed at the other girls' apartment last night.

_I'm sorry, Tatsuki. I can't keep that promise. I can keep you near me, but I can't let you fight with me._

* * *

The Seireitei was silent for the first time in hundreds of thousands of years. The spirit particles that made up even the birds and insects had been drawn away by Ishida Uryu and his father to power their attacks. The shinigami of the Gotei 13, the warriors loyal to the noble families, both greater and lesser, were outside the walls, swarming through Rukongai, searching for volunteers. The call had gone out at dawn, and they would be leaving at dawn tomorrow. Nno further notice could be given since the attack was supposed to be a secret.

Captain-General Yamamoto stood with the other Captains of the Court Guard Squads atop the Sokyoku Hill, looking out over the empty buildings.

"It is almost time," he said, his voice thick with power. The old man had actually been practicing, and both Kenpachi Zaraki and Shunsui Kyoraku had the wounds to prove it.

"In nineteen hours, call the squads back, with whatever forces they have mustered. The Rukongai citizens will be used only to shore the line, they are reserves only."

His Captains nodded or murmured their aknowledgement. That order had been given a week before, and they were familiar with it. The plan was simple- mass their most powerful forces in the middle and break through the fortress walls as quickly as possible. Once the defenses were breached, the same powerful force would rush through the hole, holding ground until a sizable team could be brought to bear, including the team lead by Ichigo Kurosaki. Once that beachhead had been secured, the main assault force would swarm into the Arrancar Palace, doing as much damage to as many of the enemy as possible. Orders had been given to avoid conflict with the Espada unless there were at least two Captain-level allies per enemy. They could not afford to lose their strongest if the attack failed.

The only real variable in the plan was whether the formidable, if slight, Rukia Kuchiki would be fighting beside the new Lieutenant of Squad 13, with Kurosaki's team, or beside her brother.

_The girl's progress has been truly remarkable. No other shinigami has reached her level in Kido since Hachigen. Even Captains Unohana and Aizen may not be her equal is spellcasting ability. If only her sword work was as good, she would be easily a Captain by now, her brother's wishes to protect her be damned._

For her part, the tiny woman would have blushed to know that the hugely powerful old man even knew her name, knew her by sight. But she was conflicted by the very problem he was having with his plan.

"Go where you want, Rukia," Ichigo said for the hundredth time, "Renji and Byakuya would be happy to have you with them. Ukitake would be happy if you stayed here with your squad. We'll be happy if you came with our group. But none of us would be unhappy whichever you choose, as long as you're safe."

_Damn him. He's so right, but so stupid, too._ "Quiet, strawberry. I'm thinking."

The red-head scowled, but without much feeling. To be honest, he was a little nervous himself. When they had stormed into Los Noches to rescue Orihime, there hadn't been time for anticipation, time to fear. Every other time he'd fought before that, with one exception, he'd been so focused on training or achieving the goal that he'd had no time for fear or anxiety.

"Do you know where Uryu and Orihime are?"

She didn't even look up from the ground between her feet, but tossed out a casual answer anyway, "Probably behind some tree or other, catching a few minutes in private. They're like rabbits."

Ichigo was silent.

Finally, he groaned quietly, "Don't tell me stuff like that, Rukia. I can't tell if I should be happy for them or vomit. I mean, I thought Orihime had taste..."

The punch to his gut did a lot to calm his nerves. The shinigami forming up around them stepped back a good ways to give their impromptu match some room, mostly out of fear, but by the time it was over, both Rukia and Ichigo were feeling much better.

Only Zaraki, who had shown up just as the fight ended, seemed more annoyed than before for being left out.

* * *

As Chad stepped out of his home an hour later, his duffel packed for a week over his shoulder, the feeling that something was different returned even stronger than before. There were only a few cars on the street and no one walking this early on a Saturday, most families were still watching television and eating breakfast inside. But in a few hours, he knew, the streets would be full of children heading to visit friends, play at the parks, or just hang out for a while.

But not him. His world, the whole world he knew, was changed. He just couldn't figure out why.

When he reached the Kurosaki home, he found Orihime and Uryu knocking on the door themselves. But something about their reiatsu was different. It was in the way the energy passed between the two friends, he was sure. If only he could put his finger on it. The big-busted girl gave him a quick, nervous smile, and the black-haired Quincy nodded once, before turning back to the door and knocking again.

_Did they? Finally? It's about time. Ever since Inoue finally decided to let Ichigo go... But I guess it really hasn't been all that long. I'm surprised Ishida finally got around to it. Though it's more likely that she made the first move._

"Hey."

The older of Ichigo's twin sisters answered the door, but said nothing. Her eyes were a little puffy.

_I guess Isshin told them what was happening._

The trio found the family, Rukia conspicuously absent, sitting around the table in silence. The youngest Kurosaki, Yuzu, was still weeping openly, if without sound. Even Ichigo's jaw was twitching, he wasn't taking the secret any better than his sisters. _What did Isshin expect? He's been lying to them their whole lives. If it had been Abuelo..._

Orihime, again displaying surprising awareness, greeted the Kurosakis, then ushered Uryu and Chad into the sitting room, leaving the family in peace. The three had nothing to say to each other either, however, so they could hear every word of the family's conversation when it resumed a few minutes later.

"Damn it, dad. I can't believe you didn't tell me this. Especially once you knew I was a substitute Soul Reaper. I don't know if I can trust you, anymore."

Yuzu's tears started up again, and Chad could hear her choke back a fresh wail.

"I don't expect you to, son. I've been a horrible father to all three of you. But someday I think you will understand that I did the best I could with what I had."

Orihime flashed Chad and Uryu a questioning look, but neither responded as the conversation in the other room continued.

"So you say. I guess you would call assaulting your firstborn five or six times a day could be considered 'training'. But what about the girls, huh? I may not be the most sensitive guy around, but I can still feel Karin's and Yuzu's reiatsu. I know they can see Hollows, Karin's even defeated a few."

_Heh, I bet Isshin didn't know that. I wonder how Ichigo knew? I never told him. Maybe she did?_

The other room was silent except for the honey-blond girl's quieting sobs for a long time, and it was Karin herself who broke it. "Shut up, Ichigo. You too, dad."

Chad could feel the two of them bristling, but the scrape of a chair put a halt to it. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to you fight any longer. Yuzu, you should come with me. If they can't grow up by now, they never will."

With a hiccup, the other girl's shadow joined her sister's on the wall, and Chad looked away while Karin spoke again, "Dad, it's going to be a long time before any of us can forgive you, but I still trust you. I think Ichigo does, too, even if he won't admit it. You had to have had your reasons. I just have one question. Did mom know?"

Chad saw the tip of Isshin's shadow move on the wall, but it was over before he could focus on it and didn't know if he'd nodded or shaken his head. Ichigo snorted and stood in a huff, then stalked out of the kitchen and through the sitting room to the stairs.

When Isshin called out to him, he stopped with one foot on the stairs. "Ichigo. Your mother knew all along. She was the one who wanted it kept secret while you grew up. It took me a long time to agree, the whole nine months she was carrying you. On the day you were born, though... my first words to her after that were, 'I understand why, now'. Someday, you will too."

Then Ichigo was gone, up the stairs and out of sight. Shortly after, Karin and Yuzu followed suit, their own bedroom door closing behind them.

"Sorry you had to hear that," the older man said as he walked slowly into the sitting room, taking the last seat next to Uryu, "I expect I have some explaining to do to you, as well."

Chad shook his head and grunted, "no", and Uryu joined him, "No, you don't. My father explained it to me. We can tell Orihime, if you want her to know. And Rukia, I suppose."

Isshin shook his head, this time, and answered, "No... I told Rukia last week. She was the one that convinced me to tell them all. Orihime, if you want to know..."

The girl shrugged, giving a wistful grin, "It's fine either way. I'm not going to hate you for any secrets you have, if I know them or not. You have your reasons, just like Ichigo and we have for keeping our secrets."

When Tatsuki arrived three hours later, the others took that as their cue to leave. Whether the twins had come to grips with it yet or not, their father had explained the plan through their door, and he knew from the sound of Yuzu's renewed crying that the two had heard. He would be leaving for Urahara's with Ichigo, Uryu, and Orihime. There, they would be joined by Ishida Ryuuken. The entire populace of the Urahara Shop, including the children warriors, would be joining the invasion force.

That meant, of course, that Chad would be the only person in Karakura with a significant amount of reiatsu. There were others who might be a target, but Chad would be the biggest by far.

There was much crying, even Karin's eyes were again wet, when the group got into the Kurosaki family car and drove away.

"Well, girls? How about it? I've got to go to the tournament, and Chad wants to watch, so... do you guys want some tickets? It might help keep your mind of... things."

_Tatsuki... she's much nicer than people think. More like Orihime in that way._

* * *

This time, the tournament had been nothing to the female fighter. Undefeated after fourteen rounds, something unmatched so far in the semifinals. Even her performance last year didn't match it. To Chad, though, it was no surprise. He'd seen her skill firsthand. _As strong as I am, sparring with her is like... fighting Kurosaki or Rukia. She's just so fast. I can't even hit her. And she pummels me, over and over before I can react. She can even through me around. She's got good leverage that way._

And then it hit him. She could _throw him around._

Throw _him_ around.

Chad.

Who weighed upwards of 112 Kilograms, and had enough reiatsu control that even Captain-level shinigami couldn't easily move him if he didn't want to be.

_She _can_ use reiatsu. Just not in a way we expected._

Beside him, Chad heard Yuzu and Karin cheering for Tatsuki, wincing once when she took a telling blow to the jaw, causing her to spit out blood. But Chad knew from experience, as well, that such a blow was nothing she couldn't handle. In fact, an injury like that did nothing more than firm her resolve to win, much like it did with Ichigo.

_Yes... there, by her feet. It's not _in_ her, not _from_ her, either. It's power more like... a Quincy. But it's there. Uryu or Ryuuken would be better... but maybe I can help her. We'll resume training tomorrow, after the twins are a little more used to having us around instead of Ichigo, Rukia, and Isshin._

* * *

The girls were long since asleep, having worn themselves out celebrating Tatsuki's victory. True, it only meant she would be advancing to the final stage of the semifinals, something she'd achieved four years in a row, now, but it was one step closer, and the girls had grown up with the teenager as their neighbor.

The older humans were sitting on the couch in the living room, ignoring the television. "So... tomorrow," Tatsuki said, her voice soft.

_Tomorrow. We'll see how different the world is._

"Hn."

The girl twisted against his chest, looking backwards and up at him for a moment before returning to face forward. One hand reached up behind her to trace his stubbly jaw, then dropped again a minute later. "Chad..."

"Hm?"

"Did you mean it, what you said earlier? About... me?"

_Which part?_

"Every word."

"So... you really do like me?"

He nodded, knowing she'd feel it on her hair, at least, and pulled her closer with his big arms.

_Finally, Abuelo, another use for them besides fighting._

"And... you or Uryu can teach me? So I won't be useless?"

"Yes. I think so."

_I hope so._

Chad's watch beeped, breaking him from his light doze. He glanced at the glowing surface. Midnight. Tatsuki was still leaning against him, breathing slowly and deeply. One foot was asleep, but he was more comfortable than he could remember ever being. _Two nights in a row she's fallen asleep in my arms. I think she's serious. Maybe tomorrow I should show her I am, too._

And then the ground around him began to shake with a terrible roar.

The air became thick, too thick to breathe. All around him, he could feel the tiny lights of the normal humans begin to flicker, the weakest already dying.

They were here... and there were far too many for him. Karakura was already lost.


	7. Chapter 7: From Hell to Heaven

**A/N:** Welcome to the seventh and final chapter of Seven Days from Heaven. As always, I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo's characters, art, storyline, etc. I just write in his world because it's awesome. :D

Enjoy- because you can!

**Chap. 7: Heaven**

_A midnight attack. We should have expected it. We knew they were ready... No! No time for second-guessing. I have to wake Tatsuki._

He shook her, aware that her breathing was slightly labored, but nothing compared to how bad she'd been when Yammy was performing that soul-sucking attack a few weeks ago. She woke quickly, clutching her chest and gasping just once, a look of terror in her eyes.

"It's them. Wake the twins, I'll have a look around and be right back to get you."

She nodded and jumped up off of his lap, hurrying upstairs silently. Chad stood a little more slowly, feeling around with his extra senses. They seemed to be only Hollows, he couldn't detect anything as powerful as an Arrancar, especially not an Espada... there were a few Gillian-class Menos, maybe one or two Adjuchas. Nothing more powerful, so nothing he couldn't handle alone if necessary... _There's just so many. Did they empty Heuco Mundo? I won't be able to hold back at all, but I will have to aim carefully, or I'll do more damage to Karakura than they will._

He hurried out the front door, only to jump immediately back inside as a long, black claw slashed the space he'd just occupied. _Where had that come from? It just appeared, attacked, and vanished._

The claw was suddenly there again, thrusting towards his chest with blinding speed. Relying on instinct alone, Chad bent backwards, allowing the Hollow's weapon to pass directly over him. Before it could catch him off-balance, he flung both arms upwards, one striking the claw on what looked like a joint, the other grabbing hold of it.

He felt bone, or whatever passed for it in a Hollow, shatter with the first blow, but heard no screech of pain. Whatever it was was tough. The claw smashed him against the front porch now, making him pay for both the punch and the audacity to grapple it. Again and again it he hit the cement, and he could feel it being smashed to pieces beneath him. _There's no help for it. I won't last unless I use my arms._

He let go at once, taking a step or two back. A distant part of his mind registered Tatsuki having just come down the stairs, Karin and Yuzu each holding one hand and clutching a small bag in the other. _I can't worry too much about them, now. I have to keep them safe, not fret over whether they see my powers or not._ "Brazo Derecha de Gigante,"and then immediately afterwards, it switched to form the shield of it's highest form. The creature's claw thrust out again, this time Chad was able to take the blow on the shield, and it didn't hurt at all. "Brazo Izquierda del Diablo," and his left arm assumed it's attack form. Yuzu and Karin gasped, but Tatsuki didn't seem all that surprised.

"What do you think you can do, human? I've heard all about you from Lord Aizen. Yasutora Sado, the only one brave enough to stand behind while his companions attack. Well, your cowardice has brought you death, boy, because tonight we _let_ the assault force take Los Noches, and we take Soul Society and the world of the living!"

The voice was disembodied, but that wasn't the strangest thing. It didn't have that peculiar rasp that usually accompanied a Hollow's voice. It sounded... like an Arrancar. _Shit, how could I not have noticed right outside the door?_

"Tatsuki, take the girls and go."

"But-"

"No time, he's stronger than I am."

"But I-"

Yuzu began to sob again, and Karin cried out, "Then let's take him together!"

Chad shook his head once, saying calmly, "It won't happen. He will just kill us all. But the three of you can escape. Tatsuki... do you remember what I said about your powers? How they are used?"

"Y... yes."

"Do that. Put the power in your feet and legs, maybe a little in your arms. Carry the girls, and _run._ Don't stop until you're outside of Karakura, either in the mountains or in Tokyo."

"Damn it, Sado..." her voice was quaking, but he could still hear the resolve. Outside the home, Chad could still feel the Hollow army attacking the innocent and mostly defenseless citizens of Karakura. There were a few fighting back, some Shinigami from Squad 13 had been stationed around the city as well. _Maybe word got out, maybe we'll get reinforcements. But if this Arrancar wasn't lying, Squad 13's in the same shape we are, maybe worse._

The beast outside was silent.

"If you die here, I'm never going to forgive you. You understand me?"

He nodded.

"I mean it. I... I don't just like you, okay? I think I'm falling in love with you, and I want to know what that's like. So you'd better not die on me."

He couldn't risk glancing back at her to show her his face, but the Hollow, or Arrancar, or whatever it was, did the work for him.

"Aww, how sweet! The big guy's crying... afraid you're never going to see your girlfriend again, chummy? Well... you're right to be afraid!"

Chad braced for the attack, but it never came.

Behind him, he heard Yuzu scream, and there were two thuds on the ground. He whirled to see Tatsuki up in the air, one tentacled arm wrapped around her throat, the twins on the ground behind her, shuffling in his direction. _How had it gotten behind me?_

Then he felt the breeze. _The back door. So simple, so easy. I'm a fool!_

Without hesitation, he dashed past the twins and threw himself into a sliding dive underneath Tatsuki's kicking legs. _There._

He punched both arms upwards, unleashing blasts of energy from each, uncaring of the damage he'd be doing to the Kurosaki home, caring only about saving Tatsuki. If he couldn't see the creature, she couldn't either. She'd have no way to fight it.

"Hmm... delicious morsel..."

And then the El Directo and La Muerta both struck the creature from below.

* * *

When Tatsuki recovered enough to make sense of what was going on, her first impression was that the house was larger than she'd thought. It was open, more breezy. Then she realized half of it was just _gone_.

"Chad..."

The voice wasn't her own, it came from the youngest Kurosaki. Yuzu was kneeling beside him, Karin rushing out the front door toward the clinic attached to their home.

"Chad!"

He was still alive, that much was obvious. He was convulsing so hard, even Tatsuki had to struggle just to hold him down. "Chad! What's wrong with him, Yuzu?!" she cried out, frantic.

"He's... one claw got him just before his attacks destroyed it. It must be some kind of poison..."

Karin dashed back into the room carrying a large first-aid kit, holding a pair of small surgical gloves out to her sister, sliding on a pair for herself as well. Karin then knelt beside Tatsuki, and murmured, "Sit by his head, please. We need to work."

Not knowing what else to do, she numbly obeyed.

Without hesitation, Yuzu reached a hand into one of the many compartments of the kit, pulling out a small bottle and a large syringe. "Poison... nerve toxin, I think. This should help. But if he's not strong..."

"He's strong."

Again, it wasn't Tatsuki, it was Karin who spoke. The teen looked over at the child, _No, she's not a __child anymore. Neither is Yuzu. Twelve or not, they've both seen to much. They know more about life than most high school kids I know, _but she was only watching her sister work with hard eyes. "Sado's way to tough to give up, Yuzu. Did you know he saved me from a Hollow before he even got his powers? He won't die from this, not if we get the antitoxin in soon enough."

Yuzu nodded, the syringe ready at last. She moved to his left arm and tried to find a vein, then gave it up after a moment and jabbed the needle at the inside of his elbow.

There was a flash of metal, and the needle flew off, grazing Tatsuki across the cheek. She didn't notice as the red line appeared.

"No good. Go for his neck. The shock won't do too much to him, he needs it _now_."

The younger girl nodded, quickly replacing the needle, and thrust it into his jugular. In seconds, the seizures had stopped, but Chad's breathing was still forced, sweat beaded his brow. Karin sat back, but didn't relax. Her eyes swept the ruins of the kitchen quickly, then moved upstairs.

"I'm going to get some blankets so we can drag him. We can't stay here, the clinic's gone and Hollows will have felt the battle. Let's go to the hospital."

"My... family," Tatsuki choked out, more a question than anything.

Yuzu shook her head, wiping her eyes dry, "They should be safe. They don't have any real spiritual pressure, and if we leave, the Hollows will come after us. Right, Karin?"

The other girl nodded once, then stood and carefully made her way up the half-staircase.

_If you die on me, Yasutora..._

* * *

But by the time they had a travoise rigged up from some closet rods and blankets, Chad had regained consciousness. He tried to rise, but Karin pushed him down firmly.

"No. Neurotoxin. We don't know how much damage was done to your brain or nervous system, and that takes time to heal, even for you, tough guy. Your girlfriend can carry you for a while. Leave the fighting to me. Only weak ones around here anyway, for a while."

When he laid his head back and looked upward, Chad could just see the top of Tatsuki's tangled hair as she drug him along the empty street. Casting his senses out, he could feel people dying all around the city. _Twenty five, thirty, forty..._

"Sado," Tatsuki asked a little later, "I think I'm doing it. You don't seem to weigh as much, and I can barely feel the ground beneath my feet."

Yuzu nodded, getting the girl's attention and pointing down. The fighter gasped once when she saw the clear, blue light surrounding her legs.

"Like Ishida Uryu," she whispered, glancing back at Chad, "You were right."

The teenaged girl was nothing if not a quick study at combat. By the time the four were at the gates of the Karakura Hospital, the one run by Ishida Ryuuken, Tatsuki was flexing and moving her newfound Spirit Power in ways Chad couldn't believe was possible after only an hour's walk. But his mind was still on other things._ One hundred forty-seven. Almost a hundred fifty Hollows, and only seven Shinigami still standing. They need my help._ He tried to rize again, and Tatsuki dropped him, as she'd warned him she would.

"Don't you get it, Chad? You _can't_ help right now. Until we find out what's wrong, you stay put. Do you get me? I'll take your share... practiced or not. Yuzu and Karin need you more than I do, right now."

Nurses and orderlies, those who could still move despite the draining effects of so much reiatsu in the area, were rushing around, sorting and moving dozens of patients, though from the sound of it, no one knew exactly what was causing the strange debilitating symptoms.

"Nurse! We have an injured one, here!" Yuzu called to the nearest, a flustered-looking young woman of perhaps twenty-five. The nurse glanced again at her destination, then hurried over to the four.

"He's... that's quite a wound. Take him to the ER, right away, please. Third door on the-"

Karin interrupted, "His wound's fine. He's been poisoned. We think it's a nerve toxin."

The woman nodded once, her expression suddenly grave, "We had a couple more brought in. They didn't make it. Most were dead when they got here... when did this attack happen?"

"About... an hour ago," Tatsuki said, checking her watch, "we got some antitoxin into him pretty soon after, maybe a minute later. We're friends with the Kurosakis, and we were at their Clinic when...

The nurse gasped, giving Tatsuki a look of horror.

"I knew you looked familiar, dear... the others. The ones that didn't make it... Are you... Arisawa Tatsuki?"

The color drained from the teen's face, all three of the others were looking at her.

"Your parents... they are dead. I'm so sorry, there was nothing we could do..."

The world began to spin around the girl, and then it all went dark.

* * *

Darkness. And pain, so much pain.

Tatsuki was not injured, even considering the tournament the previous afternoon. The girl was so used to bruises that she didn't even notice them. No, her pain was from an injury more severe... and in her heart. _Mom... Dad..._

Then in a flash of terror, she remembered her brother and sister. Where were they? _Oh... they're visiting our grandparents... permanently, now, I guess._ "I want... I have to see them. Please."

The obvious need in the young woman's voice overwhelmed the nurse's hesitation at once, and she helped Tatsuki to her feet. "The hospital morgue is in the basement. Let's get your friend into the tox ward, then I'll take you down, okay?"

Karin had stayed with Sado, and the glimmer in her eyes told even the mourning Tatsuki that the young girl had quite the crush on the giant herself. Her sister, however, stayed with Tatsuki as the nurse took her downstairs. It seemed that, small though she was, Yuzu's supply of tears was inexhaustible. At least now they were streaming silently down her cheeks, because Tatsuki didn't think she could take her sobs any longer.

She looked down at the girl clutching her hand tightly. Yuzu's face was set, her eyes filled with resolve as they stood before the morgue door. She showed no fear. _Yuzu's stronger than she looks. Like Karin and Ichigo._ _It won't be long before these two want to join the fight, too._

The lights were bright, the wealls and floor white and blue, patterned in what the pair now knew was one version of the Quincy Cross. It didn't look much like the ones on TV, only the bank of metal drawers along one wall bore any resemblance. There were several slots open, table even had a body on it, covered by a blanket, with tubes running in and out. Embalming, probably. There were no others present.

"When I asked for permission to bring you down here, I let them know you would want some privacy. They're at the end... second and third from the bottom."

Tatsuki took a deep breath, but couldn't find the energy to step forward. Her cheeks were tingling, she knew that she was close to fainting again.

Then there was pressure on her right hand. The narrow circle that remained of her vision spun down to meet Yuzu's earth-colored eyes.

Breathe

The voice, the thought, was not her own. It was alien, yet familiar.

Breathe, Tatsuki Was that... _Yuzu?_

You need to breathe! The voice was so insistent, so _present_ inside her head, that the teen had no choice but to obey.

That's good, keep breathing. We will get through this together.

The girl's quiet, but sad, strength did wonders for Tatsuki's own self-control. Her cheeks were still a little iffy, but her vision had returned almost to normal, and she could hear again.

The small hand urged her forward, and before she knew it, Tatsuki and Yuzu were at the end of the room. Unable to help herself, her arm acting of it's own volition, just like it did when she was fighting, her arm rose slowly from her side to pull out first one drawer, than the other.

They were unmistakable.

Tears welled again in Tatsuki's eyes, but the warmth of Yuzu's hand in her own gave her something else to focus on, squeezing her hand back, so tightly it probably hurt the smaller girl, gave her something to do besides weep openly. Instead, the oldest Arisawa sibling looked for a long moment at each of them, memorizing their features one last time, then whispered 'good bye', and shut the drawers softly.

* * *

When Chad next woke, he was surprised to find that he was alive at all. He looked around without stirring, taking note of the familiar walls and setup of the Karakura Hospital, as well as the weight of the softly breathing person, sleeping half on his hospital bed, half on the chair next to it. He couldn't feel anyone else in the room. _Tatsuki is right outside. Yuzu is with her, and Karin is here. I still can't feel the others. But I don't feel any more Hollows, either._

"Karin?"

The black-haired girl did not wake, but stirred slightly. Taking a closer look, Chad saw numerous small cuts, most partially covered by band-aids, and one deeper gash running from between the second and third knuckles of her left hand up her arm almost to the girl's elbow. It was bandaged and wrapped tightly, but blood still seeped into the bandage. _Combat. Looks like glass and a Hollow wound. I'm glad they're all alive, at least. I don't feel any weakening of their reiatsu._

The giant tried to sit up, but moving anything besides his neck and jaw caused such intense agony that he passed out again.

* * *

Tatsuki heard the now-familiar voice in her head throughout the three hours or so she had been asleep. Yuzu didn't actually _say_ much, only repeating reassuring words like _He will be fine _and _Chad's strong_, with the occasional _Keep sleeping, you need to recover your strength_.

When she woke at eight-fifteen the next morning, the girl had the impression that, small though the child beside her was, even for her young age, Yuzu had more strength of will in her than anyone could have guessed. Tatsuki still remembered the change that had come over the entire Kurosaki family with the death of Masaki Kurosaki. Ichigo had become scowling and serious instead of his boisterous smiling self, Karin much the same. Isshin, she hadn't known all that well, but she still thought the ex-shinigami had been more like Ichigo, then, smiling and happy instead of faking cheer to keep his children's spirits up. Yuzu, though, had made the most profound, yet well-adjusted change. While the others essentially worm masks, the youngest Kurosaki hadn't just _tried_ to act like the pillar of the household, she truly had _become_ that pillar. The cooking, cleaning, and scheduling most mothers did was part of it, of course, but that wasn't all. She cried, laughed, and cheered, willingly showing emotion for the rest of the family, who just didn't dare. _They would fall apart without her. And I think she knows it. She _has_ to know it, if what she said earlier was true. That she'd been telepathic for five years. _

_What would that _do_ to someone? This little girl... well, she's still a girl, but more mature than anyone I know my own age. She keeps all her families secrets, even from her twin sister, I think. Not just her families... she knew what Rukia was the day they met. Before, even, if she learned it from Ichigo the day before._

_And the others... those missions, or quests, or whatever... to the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, fighting against Vampires and Hollows and Arrancar and whatever else... she has to have known it all, but didn't say a word. I thought I was strong... that Orihime, Ichigo, and Rukia were strong..._

_Heh, I'd better stop this line of thought right now. I _think_ she's asleep, but she could be faking it and __listening to every word I think..._

Just to be safe, Tatsuki slowly moved her eyes down to check on the girl now leaning her slight frame against Tatsuki's muscled arm. Her eyes were closed, breathing regular. Unable to help herself, the teen put her arms around Yuzu and pulled her closer, leaning back against the wall of the hospital, waiting for Chad to wake up.

* * *

"Fools! According to our reports," the speaker was Kaname Tosen, but Ichigo wasn't really listening. He was far more concerned with beating back the assault of Arrancar Numeros attacking their bunker. _Fighting like this is a pain in the ass._ He called softly, but putting just enough reiatsu behind his voice to make sure it carried only to the right people, "You guys ready to make a break? Straight for Tosen, shut him up for good?"

Beside him, Rukia, Renji, Isshin, and Urahara nodded. The others had long ago been separated from their group, but even through the confusion Ichigo had made sure to keep their Spirit Threads clearly separated from the mass around him, so he knew they were still safe- for now.

"Right then. On ten... Kaname's tenth word from now. Ready?"

The blind man continued, "-already fallen. The human world is under attack as we-"

And then his words were drowned out by the roar of energy flashing out from the bunker, twin Getsuga Tensho incinerating waves of Arrancar, clearing a path straight for the ex-shinigami. As one, the five Flash Stepped toward their foe...

* * *

_It was finally working the way it should be. Or so Tatsuki supposed. If the focused her mind _just so_, when her fist, or foot, or knee, or whatever was _just there_, and she struck the Hollow _there_, the burst of bright energy actually caused real damage. Not just damage, but... she could see the mask cracking. Wincing, she shook the spasms of pain out of her now-bleeding knuckles. _Going to take a little more practice to keep that from happening...

_Beside her, Karin let loose with her baseball bat, a trick she'd 'borrowed from a friend'. The blow finished the thrashing Hollow, and Tatsuki watched it vanish. It was the first time she'd ever actually helped defeat the beast. "Good job," the younger girl said, "don't know if I could have done that one on my own."_

_Then she turned to look behind them and called, "Yuzu, you still good? Any more around?"_

_The blond's eyes closed for a moment, and when she opened them, she was pointing a ways to the northeast. "About half a mile that way is the next. I can't count them all, they're moving too much, but we have a long way to go. Save your strength, I can't support you forever."_

_The other twin nodded, then started jogging in the direction Yuzu had pointed, expecting Tatsuki to simply follow._

_Four hours later, Karin and Yuzu were nearing the end of their strength. Both were panting. At first, Tatsuki hadn't understood why, but when she'd asked, the two had, while finishing each other's sentences in the most disconcerting way, told her that when they were using their spiritual pressure, their 'twin's link' magnified many times over. Karin being the combative one, took most of the physical energy from both of them, and Yuzu being the mentally stronger, used her empathic powers to pull Karin's pain and discomfort into herself. It made sense, in an odd sort of way... but then, Tatsuki was still getting used to the whole 'spirit powers' thing herself. _Maybe I just don't know any better.

There.

_Suddenly, she could feel the Hollow, just on the other side of the wall, but ten stories or more up. The high-rise office building's expensive windows exploded outwards, showering both of them with glass, moving fast enough to sever veins if a shard got a lucky hit. Karin was too far ahead, but at least Tatsuki could shield Yuzu. When the deadly rain was over, Yuzu was barely hurt, but Karin was bleeding almost everywhere that Tatsuki could see. Only her face, having been shielded by her arms, _smart girl_, was untouched._

"_Karin!" her sister called, but the black-haired twin just shook her head and swung her bat a few times to keep her arms limber, looking upwards._

_Following the girl's gaze, Tatsuki could see what looked like a humongous snake... or centipede... or... _what the hell _is_ that thing?

_It was changing it's form too rapidly to really make it out. But it was big, that much was certain. Without warning, it heaved the rest of it's currently block-shaped bulk from the ruins of the building, clearly intending to drop straight down and crush the trio._

"_Weak!" Karin screamed, as the baseball bat began to glow with a reddish hue, now matched by both twin's eyes. Tatsuki ducked, knowing there was no way she'd clear the obstacle in time, and it was a good thing she did. Karin was just enough shorter than she was, that if she'd been standing straight up, it was likely her neck would have been shattered by the impact._

_The Hollow, however, was worse off than they were. With a resounding crack, the brightly-glowing hardwood struck the brick-shaped monster, sending it flying back into the air. As it flew away from them, already disintegrating, it suddenly changed it's form again, becoming a many-tentacled beast. One razor-tipped pseudopod lashed out towards Karin, but her sister, squeezing her eyes shut, threw herself to the ground, her sister's body following suit like a puppet._

_It was almost enough. The tip just grazed Karin's out-flung arm as she fell, then the Hollow was gone._

_Finally, a chance to rest. The sky was beginning to grow lighter, dawn was coming at last. She could only feel a few more Hollow in the area, some had already pulled out, knowing the attack had been thwarted. There was still one strong enemy and a couple of small fry, ones Tatsuki was sure even she could take, weakened from previous battles or no. But that one... it was a worry. And now Karin was out. Her sister was tending to her wound, using the last of their first aid kit and her own empathic abilities, but it would take both of them out for a while. The creature was even heading straight toward them..._

_* * *_

Finally, he was awake. Tatsuki and Yuzu had both cried a little when they'd seen him conscious, the older teen actually working up the nerve to kiss him once softly, then again deeper, while both of the twins blushed, Karin also scowling with a small amount of jealousy. Chad, for his part, seemed mostly healthy, but the doctor in charge of the tox center assured him that while nerves did heal themselves, the kind of damage done would take weeks to heal completely. If he hadn't been given the antitoxin so quickly, he assured the others, he probably would have been paralyzed at best, dead at worst.

And then, finally, he and Tatsuki had a moment alone.

"I'm glad I got some powers, of course... I'm glad I can finally be of some help. But mostly I'm glad you're okay. They're... still searching Karakura for the dead. We couldn't save them... so many people died. The police have to go house to house. Some of the Hollows even spilled into Tokyo proper..."

Chad looked at her while she spoke, unable to believe half of what she was saying, but grateful she could still say it if even half of her story was true. _The two of them... three, really, brought down over a hundred Hollows? And Tatsuki just gained some control over her powers. She's stronger than I'd thought. Maybe she... no, that doesn't make any sense. If she gathers power like a Quincy, it could just be the afterglow from the area... there's a lot of people around here with a high reiatsu, especially the Kurosakis. They leave traces everywhere, maybe it was drawing those spirit particles in that gave her the strength..._

"-don't care if you're even listening right now, Chad. I'm just so glad the four of us made it... it gives me hope the others did."

Then, before he knew it, she was bent over the hospital bed, her soft, _so soft, not like her calloused hands and knuckles, _lips against his, her hands in his coarse brown hair. She whispered, "I think I'm really in love with you. I was so worried you wouldn't make it... That's why I fought so hard. I didn't want to see you in the morgue... I didn't want to see anyone I cared about laying on those cold slabs, like my parents. But especially not you."

Chad actually grunted from the pain, but he found the strength to pull the arm not hooked up to his IV out from under the thin blanket and wrap it around Tatsuki's shoulders, pulling her closer. He could feel her breasts pushing against his pecks, but the thought wasn't as embarrassing as it would have been the day before. It just felt... normal. Natural, even. Maybe a little right, like they belonged there._ Or maybe I just want them to. But in the end... if I want her to belong with me... isn't that love?_

By four that afternoon, the twins were awake again. Karin, her injuries less life-threatening than many the suddenly overcrowded hospital had dealt with over the night and day, had finally been treated properly. Rather than cover her in band-aids again, the doctor treating her had simply decided to swathe her cut skin, both arms and legs, in gauze and tie it down. She resembled nothing so much as a mummy from the neck down, albeit a short one, wearing navy-blue pajamas. Yuzu, mostly unhurt, had refused all treatment, but taken the offer of one of the spare few beds to sleep in with pleasure, dragging Karin along with her.

But now that the four of them, the twins and their 'babysitters', were reunited, Tatsuki had something else to say to them.

"Listen... I know you guys know all about Soul Society, and all that. Chad's been there, even," she said, squeezing one shoulder as she spoke, "and from what I've heard, my idea is possible... if a little risky. I..." She suddenly stopped, and Chad looked up to see her eyes wet, her throat moving soundlessly. Yuzu left her sister's side for the first time since they'd woken, and took Tatsuki's hand in her own. The two girl's eyes met, for just a moment, but his... _girlfriend. I can say it, can't I? It's not like I'm Ichigo, I'm not a relationship coward... am I? No. Girlfriend. Girlfriend. Girlfriend. Easy._ Girlfriend's demeanor suddenly changed, at peace again.

"I want to say goodbye to my parents. I want to tell them... that I'll be all right, that I'll take care of my sister and brother. I don't want to see them for too long... maybe visit them in Rukongai for a day. But I need your help. Chad, do you know how to get into Soul Society?"

He shook his head, and said, "No. There is a Senkai Gate in the Urahara basement, but I don't know how to open it."

Tatsuki's face fell, but Karin said quietly, "I can open it. I watched that shrimpy Captain... the white-haired one, open one. I think I remember what you have to do with your reiatsu to open it."

"Captain Hitsugaya?" Chad asked, one eyebrow raised. _If he heard her calling him shrimpy... but he _is_ about an inch shorter than she is..._

Karin nodded, and Tatsuki's expression returned to normal, "OK, so Karin can get us into the gate... Chad, can you get us through? And show us around Rukongai enough to find my parents?"

_A truly monumental task. It could take thousands of years to find someone... but then, I did meet up with Shibata. Maybe, just maybe..._

"I can get us through. All of us, if the girls want to go. We did promise to protect them."

Once again, both of the twins blushed heavily when Tatsuki grinning widely, swept down to kiss Chad again.

* * *

And then, it was time. It had been a full day since the assault had begun, twenty-six hours since their friends had left the human world. They had had no word, no sign, of defeat or failure save one. They were still there, and there had been no further attacks.

_Which means the battle is still on. We have not lost yet._

Those words were small comfort to Chad, but he took what he could from them. He was leading the way down the humongous ladder into the man- or shinigami-made vault beneath the Urahara Shop where the old man kept his Gate. _Strategically, it makes more sense to reinforce the Seireitei anyway. Captain Ukitake is powerful, but with his illness, he can't fight for long. And they only had Squad 13 stay behind. They may have been overwhelmed. We must be cautious when we reach the other side of the Gate. Unless the cleaner finds us again... But in that case, I guess I could carry the twins. I know Tatsuki can keep up._

After the four had reached the bottom, stretched the muscles most of them weren't used to using, and tracked down the traces of reiatsu that hid the Gate and unraveled them, Chad had a few more words to tell them before they went through.

"Remember what I said. Humans aren't meant to make the passage, so it will be dangerous. I can carry the twins if I have to, but it will take four minutes to cross the pass, and we cannot stop. If you hear a noise behind you... run much faster. The cleaner is stronger than all of us together, even at full power."

The females nodded, all their expressions grave. He continued, softer than before, "Also, keep in mind that Soul Society may have fallen, or still be under attack. When we reach the other side, we may suddenly be surrounded by enemies. If that happens, we circle up, I carry the twins and Tatsuki both for as long as possible, and we escape. Nothing else matters, no fighting, we just get out until we can hide. Is that clear?"

Tatsuki looked surprised, not just that he'd said so much at once, but that he seemed so confident in his leadership role that she almost didn't answer before he repeated his question.

He gave Karin the signal, and she turned her attention to the wooden pillars that marked the boundary of the Gate. Sweat beaded her brow at once, but it was almost an hour before she finally worked out how to open it.

The wooden doors slid aside, revealing white, and nothing but. It's radiance was blinding at first, but after her eyes adjusted, Tatsuki thought it was rather soothing, in a quiet way.

"Let's go, I think this is the right passage. Heaven awaits."

---

**A/N2:** It's been a fun ride. Remember what I said at the beginning- this fic is set in the same version of the world that my epic titled "_Not a Coward..._" is set in, so keep an eye out if you liked it.

Also, if you're into Naruto, Avatar, maybe Eureka Seven, or my other fav animes, keep an eye out on my name- I've got plans for 'em all in the semi-near future. (Within a year or so)

Review if you can, be it constructive or otherwise. Even a 'hey it's great' can help out, but if you can actually help me improve my writing, so much the better.

Thanks for tagging along on this little journey.


	8. Petition End Tyranny Nao!

First, apologies to all who thought their favorite stories were being uploaded- not quite yet. I'm working on them still, of course, but this is something I feel can't wait for an A/N. I never thought I'd be doing this instead of a chapter, but... desperate times and all that. And for those who have me on author alert... sorry. I didn't realize until I was almost done that I was flooding your inboxes. :P

A personal note:

The below petition is not my creation, but I wish I'd thought of it. As many of you readers are no doubt aware, there has been a recent crackdown on lemons on Ffnet, a site many of us know and love. Now, I am fully aware that lemons violate the ToS. I've known it since before I wrote my first fanfiction, and since before I posted it- here. That being said, lemons in fanfiction have been around a long time. Longer than this site has. Longer than I've been alive, and I'm one of the older ones that frequent the site (but by no means the oldest).

However, I willfully violated the ToS in that regard (with a lemon) for one reason. It may not be 'the right reason', it may not even be a good one, but to me, as an author and creator (because as the author of this petition said, we _are_ the creators of our own original plots, events, characters, and works and we own them legally just as the canon authors own their own works), it is enough.

To me, a lemon can make a good story better. Yes, it can also make a good story (or a bad story) worse. However, do you cut off your arm because it is scratched, or even mauled? No, you get it treated.

Expecting us, as authors, to cut off a piece of our creations because someone, somewhere, in the faceless, anonymous masses of _everyone_ was offended? Just... no. I won't stand for it. If Fanfiction (dot) net is willing to kowtow to a few vocal people, then I say the vocal _masses_ stand up and make _their_ voices heard.  
Personally, I have long wished for an anti-yaoi filter. Regardless of all arguments, it's not something I enjoy reading and wouldn't even skim through if I had my choice (think how much easier your searching for a new story would be either with or without that alone!).

Adding another rating- the below-mentioned "MA" is perfectly servicable, though I'd choose something different so there isn't any confusion with "M" (X has rather negative connotations, but would also serve just fine given the nature of what we're talking about).

These are just simple corrections that would take (and I know enough of coding to be sure this is accurate) a few man-hours to do, and a few more to check it doesn't mess anything else up. In all honesty, it should take seconds.  
And yes, instead, countless man-hours are devoted to deleting other's creations, often the only copy of said creation in the world? I don't think that's right at all. It doesn't even make _sense_, because so much man-power and man-hours are being wasted when another fix is so easy.

The last suggestion is even better- a (still free) but age-verified membership, where lemons (or other graphic stories that may well pass beyond accepted 'M' ratings) are allowed? Seriously, why _not_? Is there a good reason? I can't think of any.

And to the people running Ffnet- whether a corporation, a few individuals, or whatever- I know I'm not alone when I say that making the wrong choice here not only _can_, but it _will_ cost you the entire reason for the site's success. I don't expect you to turn your site- which I have always, until now (and I still do in most ways) respected- into another "AdultFanFiction" site. But in the end, isn't this site about the fans?

-InfiniteDragon

If you care please copy, sign and post this.

Petition:

I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in it's original form, this is something that I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be losing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

(Personal: I was led to believe this was a site for the fans. Meaning we can upload any kind of material, as long as it stuck to the criteria given to us before an upload. Or instead of simply getting rid of pretty much the best stories on the site, LIMIT the amount of yaoi on the site. Or at the very least have its own place in the filters )

Forum. Fanfiction topic/111772/63683250/1/#63698621

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